Re: power v energy measurements, was Re: SSTC does 10 foot sparks

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-twfpowerelectronics-dot-com>

Problem may be that a circuit breaker only trips with current.  No 
accounting of power factor or true RMS...  A better solution would be a 
well protected "kill-a-watt" meter:

http://www.themeterguy-dot-com/advertising/Kill%20A%20Watt/killawatt.htm

I have no relation to this site, they just grabbed the report at:

http://hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/Kill-A-Watt/Kill-A-Watt.html

They are sold all over the place for about $30:

http://froogle.google-dot-com/froogle?q=kill-a-watt&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wf

I did manage to blow one up (or scramble it's brains a bit).  Maybe a few 
MOVs, and a ground stake at the meter, EMI filter, and keeping it a good 
distance away, would protect the meter much better.

If it's brains get scrambled and you have the equipment (or just want to 
cheat ;-)) see this:

http://hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/Kill-A-Watt/Kill-A-Watt%20calibration.txt

http://hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/Kill-A-Watt/P5020043.jpg

Cheers,

         Terry



At 01:09 PM 6/25/2004, you wrote:
>In a message dated 6/25/04 1:58:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
>tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:
> >Before we can go any further this type of test should be
> >understood and approved by the majority of coilers.
>
>How's this for "standards"?
>1) We DEFINE "The Prime circuit breaker" to be a particular size, make and 
>model. It is given into the care of an eminently reputable coiler (like Terry).
>2) All "standard" circuit breakers are calibrated against this one, 
>numbered and issued. These are to be recalibrated on an annual schedule.
>3) Using a standard breaker as the sole supply, each coiler measures the 
>longest sparks that can be generated by his/her coil without tripping the 
>breaker.
>4) This way the coils become "black boxes" with the only parameters being 
>line voltage and current in, and spark length out.
>5) There would need to be a set of different "primes" for different 
>classes of coils (lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight), or (Formula I, 
>Formula II. etc.) so that coils would compete only in their own "power 
>class" as in many other sports.
>6) The person producing the longest witnessed spark (2 or more 
>non-related, unpaid witnesses) under these test conditions, is DEFINED by 
>ACCLIMATION to have the most efficient coil. etc.
>This could, of course, devolve into "sanctioned events" in which case it 
>would be more of a sport than science, but I suspect that for many (not 
>all) coilers, bragging rights is the only thing of interest, and for them, 
>it's already devolved into a sport.
>
>Matt D.
>
>"A compromise is an arrangement which solves everything except the 
>original problem." James Fletcher, Case Tech, 1962