Re: [TCML] Pig Ballasting...

[Neon Tesla <neontesla@xxxxxxxxx>]

sorry for my quick grammar!

On Sat, Oct 27, 2012 at 5:36 PM, Neon Tesla <neontesla@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> 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 !*
>
>


-- 
*Don't lower your expectations, raise the voltage !*
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