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Re: [TCML] Pig Ballasting...
Im using 12 or 14 awg in the wound config and wide open on a
240V circuit its pushing id say about 40-50A, Id have to guesstimate that
last number because my last control didn't include an ammeter, but guessing
on the number of times the breaker flipped It had to have been in the lower
40's. I do remember chaping out on the wire and going slightly thin. I am
working on a new, control that isn't so splayed out, no knowledge of
current at 240v was kinda scary ; )
On Sat, Oct 27, 2012 at 9:42 AM, jhowson4@xxxxxxxxxxx
<jhowson4@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> I have used a 500' spool of #12 on my ge 1.5kva 120:1 pt driven coil for
> a while. Limits it to just under 30A in my case. But gets very hot with
> prolonged use, as you would expect for #12 with 30A in it. I don't run for
> more than a minute at a time usually so it works. Most certianly not suited
> for long highpower runs.
>
> Cheers,
> John "Jay" Howson IV
>
> Sent from a tiny phone with a tiny keyboard.
>
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "Travis Tabbal" <travis@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [TCML] Pig Ballasting...
> Date: Sat, Oct 27, 2012 10:50 am
>
>
> Thanks for the info Joe. I was wondering what you got for current when
> running as an air core.? I saw one post last night where someone just used
> the spool of wire as it came from Home Depot and it didn't get too hot. I
> seem to recall the current being about 20 amps. I'm tempted to try it just
> to see what it does.
> On Oct 27, 2012 7:53 AM, "Joe Mastroianni" <joe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >
> > I did what you are suggesting, only I used 500' of 10GA. I made a spool
> > out of 2" PVC with some flat polycarbonate scraps glued on the ends (but
> > not blocking the interior hole of the PVC) to hold on the wire. The
> spool
> > is about 18" long. Took quite a bit of muscle to wind.
> >
> > I experimented with different configurations for the core. I had a
> couple
> > 8' rods of aluminum and steel that I cut up into 2" sections. Generally
> > speaking the forces want to pull the rods into the core, not visa versa.
> > If you do the math you see it doesn't matter which way the current is
> > flowing in the solenoid, so it doesn't matter that it's AC, then, either.
> >
> > The real issue you face is heating of the core materials. My pig is only
> > rated at 5KVA so I rarely pushed it above 10. And in any case at 6kVA I
> > was getting ground strikes so I didn't feel the need for much more. I
> was
> > measuring the input V and I to the variac, as well as the output, and
> > shoving things into and out of the ballast core to get reasonable levels.
> > But those interior rods got really hot, probably because I just threw
> them
> > in there, but also probably because the eddies in some of the materials
> > were severe.
> >
> > And the core would stay hot for a long time. I never melted through the
> > PVC, but I was close. I'm not sure the best way to cool it down as I
> > switched to DR coils and didn't experiment much more with that.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Joe
> >
> >
> > On Oct 26, 2012, at 10:27 AM, Travis Tabbal wrote:
> >
> > > 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?
> >
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> >
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>
--
*Don't lower your expectations, raise the voltage !*
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