4kv power supply with inductive ballast

This is another video of my 4,000 volt power supply, using two microwave transformers in series. But this time I'm using an inductive ballast I made, instead of a light bulb to limit the current. The arc might not look that big, but this is actually about 4,000 volts at 180 milliamps. It's drawing about 6 amps from the primary side...120 volts at 6amps is 720 VA. So it would be 4,000 volts at 180ma on the secondary side. I could supply more current by bypassing some of the chokes in the ballast. I might do that in another video later.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• high
• voltage
• transformers
• induction
• inductive
• reactance
• AC
• alternating
• current
• sparks
• arc
• arcing
• sparking
• MOT

[MrStemkilla]

what do you cuse to limit current? they look like transformers how are they not steping up or down all your cuttent?

[ct92404]

@MrStemkilla

They're not transformers, they have only one winding. They're some kind of heavy duty chokes. I bought them at an electrical surplus shop, but I'm not sure what they were used for. They work great to limit current because of the inductive reactance, and they seem to be able to handle a LOT of current without getting hot. I even connected just one of them to 120 VAC and it barely got warm.

[ubuntupokemoninc]

actually big mots don't need a ballast if you use capacitors, i have 2 BIG mots in anti parallel with 4 capacitors and they run quite cool, and i have a choke wound on a piece of pvc pipe , with the choke i can run forever and 1 foot arcs, with out it i can run for about 7 minutes with 2.5 foot arcs, running it for 7 minutes the hot but NOT over heating

[ct92404]

@ubuntupokemoninc

But how do you have the capacitors and chokes connected to the transformers? If they're in series with the primary or secondary windings, then you are adding reactance, which adds resistance to the circuit and that's why you're not overloading the transformers.

[MrStemkilla]

@ct92404 are they ust one coil around some steel? if they are they are used to filter ac so it is at a consisten levle with little spikes or drops used in computers alot or mri rooms

[ubuntupokemoninc]

give it 12 amps and give it caps now that thng will kick an nst's butt!

[ubuntupokemoninc]

@ct92404

with heat the same with or with out the caps, the are big freaken transformers.

[andymouse123]

seem's a lot of work for a tiny little arc...i get 30Kv from a flyback and a power tansistor (2n3055)

[ArtistBlade1972]

Pretty lethal setup there... good idea putting in a ballast