RE: Power factor correction

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Dave Halliday" <dh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

He is not talking "modest"

Your Jacobs Ladder makes a nice bzzzzzzrt, bzzzzzzrt, bzzzzzzrt sound
(at 3,000 Watts) while I bet that his sounds like a large wolverine in
heat. I have one from a 15KV 60MA (9,000 Watts) neon transformer that
sounds wonderful and I can only imagine what something running at 34KW
would be like.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 8:37 PM
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Power factor correction
>
>
> Original poster: Skip Malley <skip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Am I missing something?
>
> An ideal transformer for a modest Jacob's ladder is an oil burner
> transformer of the 10KV / 30mA type.  To do a Jacob's ladder thing,
> that is the best XFMR to use.  For that, there also is no need for
> ballasting.  An oil burner transformer is designed to produce a
> continuous spark.
>
> Any Jacob's ladder that I have made draws about 3 amps from the 120V
> AC line with NO ballasting using an oil burner transformer.
>
> An X-Ray transformer is the wrong transformer for your application.
>
> Skip
>
> At 07:26 PM 6/19/2006, you wrote:
> >Original poster: "Mike" <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> >I was making a Jacob's ladder with a dialed-down/ballasted x-ray
> >transformer (83v 41A in atm, limited by the 30A breaker and dry atm
> >'till I build a tank and vacuum it, ebay special so was shipped ups
> >dry to save shipping). Close to 38kV and 90 mA out (making a
> >mean-looking 12" arc). I wanted to power factor correct this so I
> >can pull more current without popping the breaker (or frying my 20A
> >variac). What I don't know is what the starting pf is without
> >measuring it (good pf DMM's I've seen are $250+). Most nst's use .5
> >as a rule of thumb for correcting those. Could this setup be
> >considered as a big nst? If so I think I need 1526uF that won't
> >change as the current/voltage go up as long as the ballast stays the
> >same (unless I goofed on the math somewhere).
> >
> >PS - The ballast is 2 E cores from old C & H sales 4500v
> >transformers with about 5 lbs 10awg and 2" spacers (draws like 8A at
> >83V with no gap) between them if that makes a difference.
> >
> >Mike
>
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