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Registered Member #1822
Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
Location:
Posts: 300
I have been asked to do a demo for a local school and I want to vaporize a hotdog with a MOT. How do I find out how much current the transformer draws? All I know is that it is less than 30 amps but, more than enough to heat up an 18 gauge wire uncomfortably hot within seconds.
Registered Member #1062
Joined: Tue Oct 16 2007, 02:01AM
Location:
Posts: 1529
The simple way is to pile on resistor's. The more effeciant way is to build a inductive ballast, a inductor in series of the primery. I would stay away from hot dog's, mainly because they arn't that spectacular, and there may be some objection and cleanliness issues, due to vegitarians and hot dog mist.
Registered Member #540
Joined: Mon Feb 19 2007, 07:49PM
Location: MIT
Posts: 969
First: I don't think that bringing an MOT to school and powering it up is the best idea... Remember, MOTs are really, really dangerous.
Answering your question: You could use a bunch of light bulbs (wastes a ton of power) or use an inductive ballast. A MOT pri with the sec shorted works well and if you need even less current, you can series a couple of those MOT ballasts.
Registered Member #152
Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384
If the 120V MOTs draw the same VA as the 230V ones, then they should draw 40+A from 120V when shorted (it may be a very little bit less). And I'm sure you know it won't last more than a few tens of seconds at this current.
If you want it to run for several minutes, you need to ballast it under ~15A, or under 10A for continuous use (with a fan!).
The best way to ballast it for a hotdog cooking is to put the original HV capacitor in series with the secondary. This way the primary current WILL stay under 10A, and you will have ~0.7A on the secondary. Note that it is not usually possible to draw arcs with this setup as the output "looks" to much capacitive.
Registered Member #1822
Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
Location:
Posts: 300
I dont think it will draw anywhere near 40A because I have shorted it out and my breakers are only rated for 30A. Maybe I need to change the breakers out...
I dont want to cook the hotdog. I want to vaporize it!
Registered Member #1107
Joined: Thu Nov 08 2007, 10:09PM
Location:
Posts: 792
I am pretty sure it is impossible to "vaporise" a hot dog with 2kv at 1A. I think you are better off going with a large capacitor bank that will pulse tens of ka of current at a high voltage.
Registered Member #690
Joined: Tue May 08 2007, 03:47AM
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posts: 616
I don't think you will be able to "vaporize" a hotdog with an MOT. You will probably burn the hell out of it and get it really hot, but it will still be intact. In my opinion, this is a job more suited to a capacitor bank.
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Microwave transformers
