Re: Inductive Kick LTR Pig Systems

[Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>]

Hi Bart,

At 10:39 AM 8/27/00 -0500, you wrote: 
>Hi Terry, 
>>
>>Tesla list wrote: 
>>Original poster: Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net> 
>>
>>Of course, there may be unknows here we don't know about.  the fact that PFC 
>>caps are rare with pig systems worrys me in that there may be something we 
>>don't know?? 
>>
>>Cheers, 
>>
>>        Terry
>I've always been under the assumption, that our ballasting is performing two 
>functions. One, limiting current. Two, correcting the lagging inductive 
>component by bringing the net reactance to zero, thus correcting for unity 
>power factor during the charge cycle before gap conduction. Jeff posted a 
>reference to this as a question to the list. From the lack of reply's, it 
>appears no one is real sure. It is seeming that pig ballasting is not 
>correcting the power factor and doing no more than limiting current, such as 
>the success Marc's recent use of PFC's. 

If the system were at unitity power factor, there would be no mechanism for
current limiting.  The current going into the system is still the same with
PFC caps, we just use them to bend the AC vector back around to reduce the
upstream current.

I would be surprised if this has not been known.  But stranger things have
happened in this hobby ;-)  The heating Marc saw on his caps is strange...

>
>I've been looking through some books and haven't found anything regarding 
>inductive PF correction. Everything seems to point to capacitive correction 
>(which makes sense considering the component causing the problem is 
>inductive). Anyway, maybe the reason pigs haven't used PFC caps is as simple 
>as a misunderstanding regarding reactive ballasting action or just because 
>no one really thought about the need to do it since a pig can deliver 
>several times it's rated current due to their short circuit current 
>construction. I think for efficiency, even a pig could use PFC caps without 
>a problem (just like the power company's do with these pigs to correct 
>inductive motor loads, etc.). 
>
>Anyway, I think I'll turn on MicroSim and see if the model can answer this 
>question for me. 

I posted my microsim model file at:

http://63.225.104.218/test/TeslaCoils/Misc/IKLTRPS01.sch

Cheers,

	Terry

>
>Regards, 
>
>Bart
>