Re: The "second pig" ballast: Questions.

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "J. Aaron Holmes" <jaholmes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Thanks, all.  This is great info!

I went ahead and cut the remaining coils off, and
guess what?!  The "spools" are indeed "C's".  The cuts
in the laminations aren't aligned, but staggered,
making them very difficult to see by the poor light in
my garage.  So I think I'm going to try going with
just half of the core (one "C").  Next step is to
build up the courage to cut the steel straps holding
the two C's together.  They do appear as though
they'll separate easily...hopefully not violently!
Then I'll get a pair of large hose clamps in for
relief of the straps holding the laminations together
and see if I can slowly open the gap enough to poke a
shim in there.

If it all works out, I'll put up a picture or two of
the finished product, since it sounds like it might be
the first time this sort of core has been used for a
ballast (with good reason!! :) )

Thanks again,
Aaron


--- Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Original poster: "david baehr" <dfb25@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
> If at all possible, use a high temp 200 c magnet
> wire , then you wont have
> to worry so much about heat build up.....maybe use a
> slightly smaller wire
> ,..a little easier to work with
>
>  >From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
>  >To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
>  >Subject: Re: The "second pig" ballast: Questions.
>  >Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2005 18:34:09 -0700
>  >
>  >Original poster: BunnyKiller <bunikllr@xxxxxxx>
>  >
>  >Hey Arron...
>  >>also...   the wire on the inductor should be
> rated amp wise to be
>  >equal to or greater than what the maximum current
> you plan to use
>  >with the hi volt xfmr....   since the wire will be
> all tightly wound
>  >around the core, the cooling capacities will be
> diminished and the
>  >wire will become warm....  best bet is to go at
> least 25% better
>  >than your maximum needs....  if you are planning
> on driving a piggie
>  >10KVA or better
>  >look at a single #6, or double # 8 or triple # 10
> THHN
>  >
>  >
>  >hope this helped
>  >
>  >
>  >Scot D
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >>So, a quick physics lesson on why the air gap is
> so
>  >>critical would be interesting (at least to me).
> My
>  >>mental model of an inductor is obviously
>  >>over-simplified.
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >
>
>
>