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140KV Xray Transformer

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LAN_403

magnet18

Fri Jul 22 2011, 05:42AM

Registered Member #3766 Joined: Sun Mar 20 2011, 05:39AM
Location:

Posts: 624

Yea, xray transformers are generally the highest of high voltage transformers hobbyists get ahold of, and they are pretty much the most dangerous transformer you can get ahold of.
I would recommend working your way up, start with the modest flyback, they work well for jacobs ladders, and plasma speakers are fun, and they are cheaper than dirt and it takes about 30 seconds to rip one out of an old monitor.

not only are xrt's dangerous, they're expensive!

All that said, if you're careful and make sure you have you're saftey procedures down, you'll probably be OK.

I've been messing with HV for 6 months, and personally I have no interest in an xray transformer at the moment, the NST I'm getting scares me enough.

Dr. ISOTOP

Fri Jul 22 2011, 05:49AM

Registered Member #2919 Joined: Fri Jun 11 2010, 06:30PM
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 652

I personally don't believe that safety issues should prevent you from doing cool things, but you should familiarize yourself with the dangers of high voltage before playing with potentially lethal hardware.
@magnet18: While some XRT's (the large 1A 100KV 3-phase units) are incredibly lethal, in general pigs and big ferrite are scarier. If the OP's XRT indeed has a short-circuit absolute maximum current of 5 mA, it is likely he will survive a shock.
Of course, I am in no way encouraging the use of 100KV transformers without proper safety precautions!

Ash Small

Fri Jul 22 2011, 11:45AM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

It seems from comments regarding current limiting that this transformer could output more than 5 mA in a similar way that a NST does (at lower voltage), so this transformer 'could' still be lethal.

Someone more knowledgable than I would have to confirm this, though.

Adam Munich

Fri Jul 22 2011, 12:51PM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

It's rated for 140kV @ 5mA.

The open circuit voltage will be much higher, maybe 300kV. The short circuit current will be higher, maybe 30mA.

cduma

Sat Jul 23 2011, 07:55PM

Registered Member #1822 Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
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Posts: 300

How did you get ahold of something like that?

dude_500

Sun Jul 24 2011, 10:51PM

Registered Member #2288 Joined: Wed Aug 12 2009, 10:42PM
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 179

bwang wrote ...

I personally don't believe that safety issues should prevent you from doing cool things, but you should familiarize yourself with the dangers of high voltage before playing with potentially lethal hardware.
@magnet18: While some XRT's (the large 1A 100KV 3-phase units) are incredibly lethal, in general pigs and big ferrite are scarier. If the OP's XRT indeed has a short-circuit absolute maximum current of 5 mA, it is likely he will survive a shock.
Of course, I am in no way encouraging the use of 100KV transformers without proper safety precautions!

XRT's are almost never (if ever) magnetically ballasted like NST's... if it is shorted, it will put out probably hundreds or thousands of milliamps and then burn out in milliseconds. If it shorts through you, you will burn out before it does.

Xray

Sun Jul 24 2011, 11:52PM

Registered Member #3429 Joined: Sun Nov 21 2010, 02:04AM
Location: Minnesota, USA
Posts: 288

dude_500 wrote ...

XRT's are almost never (if ever) magnetically ballasted like NST's... if it is shorted, it will put out probably hundreds or thousands of milliamps and then burn out in milliseconds. If it shorts through you, you will burn out before it does.

X-ray transformers are not current-limited, as are NST's. So, if you short the output without any ballasting, the primary winding will draw a huge number of amps from the Mains, and will blow a fuse or pop a circuit breaker. Arcing the output, such as with a Jacob's Ladder, is essentially a short circuit.

There are numerous ways to limit the current during short-circuit conditions (Grenadier mentioned one such method), but ballasting will not make it much safer to "play" with. Even with a ballast, 140KV at a few mA going through your heart will be lights out for you! (and I can only assume that it will be a very painful death, because I know from experience what a bad shock feels like!)

omegalabs

Wed Jul 27 2011, 08:45PM

Registered Member #1521 Joined: Thu Jun 05 2008, 10:46AM
Location: Hungary
Posts: 128

I have a big xray transfomer, but I'm not sure, how to connect it to mains. It's 270kg/540lbs, the output voltage is 160kV (I think). It was 75$ a few years ago in a junkyard. Once I opened it, and was full of oil, so it's possible, that this is in working condition. Measuring the many outputs seems like a waste of time, maybe the best way to check out the condition of the transformer is to open it, and lift up the whole core.
Transformer1
Transformer2

Thomas W

Wed Jul 27 2011, 09:19PM

Registered Member #3324 Joined: Sun Oct 17 2010, 06:57PM
Location:
Posts: 1276

wow that is one huge transformer, omegalabs

omegalabs

Wed Jul 27 2011, 09:29PM

Registered Member #1521 Joined: Thu Jun 05 2008, 10:46AM
Location: Hungary
Posts: 128

Actually there is another one still in the yard, which is 500kg. It's only for 150$, but I don't have any money yet to buy it.

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