Help needed with step-up transformer

Other Hardware General Electronics
21

Why you stick with 277 volts, for your application voltage is not critical, try 240 V.
Your ballasts 50W can deliver only 150mA of high voltage, I think you need much more.
Low resistance is causing overloading the ballasts and drop 277V mayby to 100V

Microwave transformer is a 1000W

trip my breaker every two minutes = a lot of current you taking from transformer perhaps 2000W - 15A breakers ?

22

Yes the MOT trips the breaker often and on a 20 amp breaker. The transformer gets very hot in a matter of minutes and so hot it burnt my hands. It runs solely on saturation. It is inefficient and even when I turn it down with my 30 amp variac, it still gets somewhat hot and the output voltage is a little too low. It works, but takes about 5 minutes per 6 inches to burn. Even when the voltage is lowered, there still is too much current. A ballast is sort of like a transformer because it outputs around 600 volts AC open circuit. I know it is more like an inductor, because it limits current, but. I know this reply is all random, but I'm trying to answer everybody. :slight_smile:

23

It is something wrong with your transformer - it is getting warm when is on load ?
or too much water

24

google - wood burning microwave transformer - images

25

there is a lot youtube

26

I am sorry, but the microwave transformer is out of the question. For one, I'm not comfortable using it. Two, I already took the secondary out to try to get 277 out. The only way I'm using the MOT is if I can figure out how to get 277 from it.

27

how much you have now ?

28

OK, caveat: I have no experience with wood burning with electricity [you're creating Lichtenberg Figures, correct?]

But, just based on Electronics: if the Microwave Transformer is getting hot, and popping the circuit breaker, then that means the resistive path is allowing too much current to flow. There are two things that can cause too much current:

  • Resistance is too low
  • Voltage is too high

So, either use less baking soda [or whatever it is that you are using to make the water more conductive], OR a lower voltage [which, clearly, is what you're trying to do]

BUT, maybe by adjusting the conductivity of the water, by using less "ionizing agent", you can get some success with the microwave transformer -- i.e. get away with using more voltage.

29

That what I suggested i post # 15, but he is stick with 277V and 50W.
Good luck.

30

Well the problem is I don't have one now. I have tried different ratios of baking soda and water on wood, and they all work okay. It all depends on the wood. If it is a hardwood, it needs to be more baking soda and vice-versa. I am trying to get as close to 277 as I can get. I do not have 240 in the garage and if I want 240 I have a homemade cord that I run into my laundry room that plugs into my 30 amp 240 volt dryer plug. To make matters worse, we have a main circuit panel and 2 subpanels in the basement that have no spaces left. And where I live, there is constantly a load of laundry in the dryer. The worst part is we have a main circuit panel and 2 subpanels in the basement that have no spaces left, so I can't even run a 15 amp 240 volt line to the garage even if I wanted to. Ideally, I wanted to get 240/277 at about 0.5 amps from a standard 120 volt outlet. Even if I can get 240 from a standard 120 outlet I'd be happy. 277 would be better though. One thing is that I need it to be a transformer, not an electronic country converter for American to European plugs.

31

How about these ideas:

  • Use a spark gap to reduce the voltage on that microwave transformer. By varying the gap, you might be able to vary the voltage drop, and control the energy delivered to the wood. Make sure to do this in a well ventilated area, because of the potential for ozone -- but, you probably already have that in place, because of the smoke :wink:
    Forgot to mention: A spark gap can, also, produce UV and even X-Rays [apparently], so don't look at it, and keep your distance.
  • Use one or more filament light bulb(s) as series, voltage dropping resistor(s). Light bulbs are great in that they can dissipate a large amount of power. They might even function as crude voltage regulators. The more current that flows, the hotter the filament gets, causing a greater voltage drop across the filament, thus acting as a voltage regulator [again, probably quite crude]. There will, likely, be an equilibrium point. It may take a bit of experimentation to find the right combination of wattage of light bulb(s). Also, they may not react fast enough to be useful--only experimentation will tell.