Re: Slide choke

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "D.C. Cox" <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>


Mike:

You will probably be able to use this successfully up to 30-35 
Amperes. Even with our reactors, due to choke intermittant 
saturation, running at 30 Amps were must use at least #10 AWG 150 
degree C. magnet wire and a small 200 cfm blower fan blasting air 
into the windings( we spacewind each layer with some 1/4 x 1/4 inch 
cut fiberglass rods to allow the fan airflow thru the coil).  We use 
Nomex insulation layer to layer to provide some thermal separation 
between layers.  At 12 AWG, the wire starts to overheat 
substantially.  At your proposed range of 50 Amps you will probably 
have to go down to #6 AWG 150 degree C. magnet wire.

Another idea might be to make up some flat endplates/endcaps for a 4 
inch dia. PVC tube.  These endplates would be 1/4 inch thick, 
circular, and have a dia of perhaps 10 inches.  Then the wire would 
be spooled off the Home Depot 500 ft spool onto your newly created coilform.

With some tinkering I think you could come up with a nice design that 
would use a fixed, non-moveable core, and perhaps 300-500 turn range 
of #10 AWG Home Depot house wiring.  Starting with 500 turns keep 
removing wire until you hit the 30-35 Ampere range.  This would be a 
nice series reactor for use with pole pigs powering a .05 to .07 uF 
range cap bank and running at 7.5 kVA approx range.

This sounds like an interesting idea.  I plan to also experiment with 
it using some tapped Supercil 10 silicon steel cores this summer when 
I get back to WI after May 15th.  If you have some time off during 
the week, perhaps you could come up to our shop and we will do some 
work together on this idea.

Regards,

Dr. Resonance



Subject: Slide choke


> Original poster: "MIKE HARDY" <MHARDY@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> A while ago I successfully built a slide choke using a 500 Ft spool 
> of #10 thhn house wire, and coated mild steel tig rods, cut to 12". 
> I have aquired some "I" laminations that are 1 3/4 inches wide, and 
> 18" long. I have enough to make 2 , 1 3/4 square cores. I have about 
> 750 ft. of #8 PVC wire. Is the length/width ratio of the coil a 
> major factor? In other words, can I wind an 18" long coil with the 
> wire I have, and just use the laminations as is? I'll be using this 
> with 240v, up to 50 A Initially, and maybe 90A later.