[TCML] Pig Ballasting...

[Travis Tabbal <travis@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I've seen a number of options in the archive. I was just wanting to get
input on what I wanted to try to make sure I'm not off the deep end
somewhere before I mess with it. Piggy is 14.4kV 10kVA.

I was thinking of getting a 500' spool of AWG12 THHN wire from Home Depot
or similar and winding it around a 2" PVC or similar tube, about 1.5ft
winding length. Then getting some ferrous wire from there as well, perhaps
something like the little yard flags or something from the fencing
department for the core. I'd pot the core material inside a smaller tube,
even just as a mandrel, with epoxy or similar (Bondo?). With a threaded rod
at the top of the potting for adjustment. Then just build a frame to hold
it together while in operation, seems like the cycling of the magnetic
field from the 60Hz AC might want to push the core out otherwise?

Other items to help with this... I have a 3phase stack of variacs I was
going to use 2 together for voltage control along with a paralleling choke.
I think they are 50A units. I also have a broken (missing wiper and
assembly) 30A variac. Probably just one of the big ones to start with, just
for testing the transformer and such. I've read you can cut a variac and
use it as a core for a ballast, but that seems like more work than winding
a solenoid coil....

Right now, I'm wanting to keep the thing simple and leave any TC stuff out.
Probably just a Jacob's Ladder to start with. I'd like to use stuff I
already have or can get somewhat cheaply, so buying welders and such is
out. And it sounds like the sliding choke might provide more options for
current control anyway. I'd like for current control to be able to go
pretty low, 1-5A?, up to 30A or so. More is OK, I'll just keep it dialed
down.
_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla