Re: ballasting

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: ballasting
From: "Cabbot Sanders" <cabbot-at-hash-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
Date: Tue, 09 May 2000 18:12:14 -0600
Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme


> Original Poster: "Daniele Bortoluzzi" <dbortoluzzi-at-sogeda.it>
 > I was wondering about power limiting issues, in effect a friend told that
a
> primary ballast, is it resistive or inductive, will reduce the voltage
input to the transformer.. is this right ?

Yes, well, sort of.  In fact the resistive ballast DOES limit the voltage
going into the NST or pig, therefore limiting the voltage output.  An
inductive ballast, however, limits the CURRENT more than the voltage, hence
achieving higher voltage in the primary. :)

> So, what do you think is the good combination ?  Variac and ballast ?
Variac
> only ? Variable ballast only ???

It's a tough choice, we've all thought about that one. I personally have put
together my ballast with a combination of the two.  I have yet to get my
'big bruiser' coil operating however, because of my brain injury.

> Imagine I want to build a "Triac based" (I have a 400 Volt 20 Ampere one)
watt
> absosption limiter rated
> for something like 1.5KVA maximum, am I going the right way to limit
current
> absorption from the transformer ?
> Is this triac suitable for coil use ???
> This cause I would like to have a "precise" limiting value... with a nice
> tweedling knob there to play with power ;)

That would be fun to do! regardless of the risk of limiting any power.