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Registered Member #58
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:40AM
Location: Tri-Cities, Washington, US
Posts: 317
If you mean like a Halfbridge or Fullbridge, I run it first using like a 50khz 555 on the antenna. Checking to make sure the bridge output shows 50khz, then I take off the 555, and leave of the tesla coil and power on the primary, the bridge output should show like .06khz, or whatever freq your interrupter is. Then i use a 12v 3A transformer to power for it and check heating, then put on the coil. I would use a Variac if I had one!
Registered Member #78
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:27AM
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 133
A quick way is to hook up a 12V halogen lamp with a series cap to the bridge's output, and apply a low voltage. The bulb will only light if your bridge is outputting AC due to the series cap
Registered Member #15
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068
Well, the brute force method does work, but not the best way to test a bridge or inverter.
First you need to check all gate signals, phasing, make sure everything looks good before applying power. Then, start running the bridge at very low voltage, starting at 0 volts and slowly increasing checking for problems along the way. For a load, you can use a resistor and monitor current if you have a current probe.
Just remember, if you are testing a bridge for use in a DRSSTC or system that is designed for low duty cycle operation, the light bulb really won't light as average power will be quite low into the bulb.
Registered Member #30
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706
I like to use the way Wilson recommended. Start at 12V with a series cap and halogen lamp as a load. Check all the waveforms with a scope. Then work up to 160 or 320v with a household light bulb and series cap, checking the waveforms as you bring the voltage up on a variac. If it's still working, throw the tesla coil onto it and cross your fingers
Light bulbs run as well off RF as they do off 50/60Hz, and gate drive transformers can't cope with 50/60Hz, so you should do the tests at the same frequency as you expect your tesla coil to run at.
Registered Member #139
Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 11:01AM
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 358
Steve Conner wrote ...
gate drive transformers can't cope with 50/60Hz
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh, that's why! lol It's just that I am playing with my big halfbridge bricks and needed a way of testing them without going silly. I don't think they are going to switch fast enough for Tesla coil duty But they may be up to the task of "Uber flyback driver"
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Testing inverters/bridges
But they may be up to the task of "Uber flyback driver"