Transformer experiments in conjunction with other thread subjects...

[the_big_m_in_ok]

Temporary Announcement:
Because my daily and monthly schedule(s) are becoming hectic, I may not post to these threads for an indefinite period of time.  I can occasionally take time on some borrowed computers to post Replies here and elsewhere. I do have an active thread that I started on OU.com that requires a lot less time than the preparation this Forum does.  However, I realize that that site isn't this site, obviously.
    I can take less time and spend no money to do my usual research with other electronic engineering subjects.

               |             |
               |             |
               +           +  
              |\            /|
              |  \         / |    
              |    \      /  |
              |      \   /   |
              |        /     |
              |      /  \    |
              |     /    \   |
              |     )|||(    |
              |     )|||(    |
              |     )|||(    |
              |     )|||(    |
              |    +---+   |
              |               |
              |               |
Alright, here we go, for the beginners out there, especially the public viewers:
The transformer circuit above is one I've never experimented with before.  The coils are wound in the same direction.  But, the act of switching the upper leads around, then results in a 'bucking' configuration.
I didn't know with DC voltage alone, 12 volts going to a light bulb would give a mere 6 volt, feeble glow.  It does, and if there's two of these in series, wired exactly the same, the same 6 volt glow is seen at the output.  Adding another coil setup changes nothing at the outputted voltage.

Also, disconnecting one of the upper leads causes full voltage to travel the length of the circuit.  Extending the bottom leads and then crossing them opposite to the upper leads also results in the full voltage traveling the length of the circuit.

NOTES:
Both coils are wound on paper toilet tube rolls.  A single layer is used throughout.  Certain patented amplifier circuits use a wiring scheme similar to that above.  
Moreover, obviously, astable multivibrators also cross the inputs to their transistor bases.   For the public and beginner:  http://www.falstad.com/circuit/e-multivib-a.html

So, other transformers configurations can be researched later for their applicability to other threads in this Forum.



Moreover, take a look at this:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/etech_photos/BuckingTransformer1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.philcoradio.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D11%26t%3D2247&usg=__38XvJrZUzcutY31KkWHnenusk2k=&h=495&w=640&sz=32&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=kHOvdnoRC5NPhM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=193&ei=U4blTfDXKpLSsAP1lqCPBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbucking%2Btransformer%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address%26biw%3D1003%26bih%3D624%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=346&vpy=254&dur=79&hovh=197&hovw=255&tx=144&ty=64&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&biw=1003&bih=624

--Lee

Reedit, 17 Jun '11:  Additional information and a 'Web page reference.
Reedit, 25 Aug '11:  Added "Temporary Announcement" to top of post.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

Take a look at this:

U.S. Patent: 3,035,120
"Stereophonic Amplifiers and Output Transformers"
to Norman H. Crowhurst

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=1lNcAAAAEBAJ



http://www.pat2pdf.org  ...

...has a copy, for free, but that you pay for copying paper and toner.  This computer doesn't allow copying of browser address bars for uploading 'Web addresses.
REEDIT:
http://www.pat2pdf.org/patents/pat3035120.pdf
This is the 'Web address for the patent on the site above.  It does load and run from the preview screen.

The transformer is the thing that interested me.  It amounts to a horseshoe shape, or otherwise, three rods touching, with two parallel (cover sheet and Fig.3).
A few or many versions can be wired to buck or boost voltage with peculiar wiring configurations.  I'll see if I can get around to investigating this concept when I have more free time.

--Lee


Reedit, 16 Jul '11:  Added pat2pdf 'Web address for the patent cited by me.

[exnihiloest]

Take a look at this:
...
U.S. Patent: 3,035,120

...
The transformer is the thing that interested me.  It amounts to a horseshoe shape, or otherwise, three rods touching, with two parallel (cover sheet and Fig.3).
...

Here it is:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=1lNcAAAAEBAJ

The transformer is not a horseshoe shape, it is closed by the piece for the "common bass" winding (see fig. 2). In the electrical circuit fig.3, the horseshoe shape seems to be an easier and clearer representation of the magnetic material just for allowing to know which coils are coupled.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

Here it is:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=1lNcAAAAEBAJ

The transformer is not a horseshoe shape, it is closed by the piece for the "common bass" winding (see fig. 2). In the electrical circuit fig.3, the horseshoe shape seems to be an easier and clearer representation of the magnetic material just for allowing to know which coils are coupled.

Very good. I can actually copy-and-paste edited text fields, but not to the browser address bar.  This computer is heavily filtered, since it's used for one purpose only (job searches).

I liked the potential for experimentation using higher multiples of step-up configurations that might be possible.  Drawing this in qwerty ascii may be a giant pain-in-the-butt, though.

--Lee

[the_big_m_in_ok]

I went and bought a Radio Shack relay/socket set (stock #275-206c), and, turning the blister pack over to the printed backside specifications, I used the drawing to wire the relay to produce what an oscilloscope would show as an approximate square wave as follows:

1)  Connect an alligator clip jumper wire between Pin #14 and Pin #9
2)  Connect another clip wire to Pin #13 and one more to Pin #1
3)  Connecting the free ends of the wires to a battery or battery holder will cause the relay to 'chatter' so fast, it hums like that which you hear next to a power plant transformer.  That works the way it should.

So, for the next phase of experiment, I'll take a Stock #273-1365 (12 VAC CT American 60Hz line transformer---with attached leads---and, starting with the center tap as is, connect another such transformer in complete series with it, starting with the top of the CT coil; from there to the bottom of the primary coil.
   That way the first center tapped coil acts like an automobile ignition coil wired as and auto-transformer with more coils connected to it.  Having transformer cores connected in series allows a greater step-up ratio and also has the coil resistance in series to present more wire turns as a greater impedance to a possible shorted connection to ground or the positive side of a battery elsewhere in the circuit.  More current can be tolerated as reserve in a circuit.

Appended reedit:  Okay, I wired the transformers as described tried to---and got no voltage in the transformers from off the relay output.  I'll rerun the experiment later after checking continuity of the components, as well as continuity in the series bottle transformer string, described below.

Finally, I have 12ea. single-wire air core transformers that were hand-wound by me for high voltage use in a circuit.  They were made by taking empty Coke bottles and then taping them together with their tops paralleled to each other.  Balsa wood shims were taped to the outside space between the bottom ends and then covered with cheap vinyl electrician's tape from a hardware store.  (I used only one layer, but I intend to subject the coil turns to, say, 5000---up to 8000 VAC---only.  Since all the turns are are 3/8" to 1/2" apart, the air, tape, balsa and bottle glass should act as a combined dielectric, hopefully good up to 20000 VAC.

I'm not! going to put my fingers next to the bottles with the circuit powered up.  And I'm using batteries to a relay for low powered experiments.  More current available than that is too dangerous for my liking.  This is a warning to beginners, since I was an experienced R&D electronics technician in the past.  "You can't be too careful," as the saying goes.

Time is about up on this computer.  You can continue to look at this post for future updates that I modify as appended text.  You Members can comment any time you want.

--Lee


Reedit: 16 Jul '11:  Appended an inconclusive brief experiment result above, with minor text editing for clarity.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

Time is about up on this computer.  You can continue to look at this post for future updates that I modify as appended text.  You Members can comment any time you want.
--Lee

Okay, I'll tell everyone what I'm going to do for a start to light/solar module/battery recharge with possible (hopefully) OU.

Begin with U.S. Patent #2,695,375.
(You can download it at   http://www.pat2pdf.org.   Also, GOOGLE's Advanced_Patent_Research function page.)
REEDIT:
Here's the link for Advanced Patent Search,
http://www.google.com/patents?id=_dpnAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=patent:2695375&hl=en&ei=XEA7Tpa7Nu_ZiALNopCADA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA
The invention is basically a fluorescent tube in series with a non-magnetic core inductor and a high voltage capacitor after leaving a 460 VAC transformer.  It's that simple.  Modern ballasts are set up to conserve power after being turned on.  This is a lot simpler than that.  Think of a Tesla hairpin circuit with only one capacitor and an inductor at the transformer output.

There's a variety of ways to set this up and I have a borrowed VOM to test with.  More or fewer individual inductors, with or whithout steel core(s).  More or fewer capacitors of lower voltage, individually, in series to begin with a minimum of, say, 750 VDC.  Larger or smaller capacitor(s).  Higher or lower voltage---and up to a whole lot with the right transformer(s) primary/secondary.

I can set up a hairpin circuit with one or more neon bulb(s) in series at the end of the paralleled wires.  And then try and measure voltage with a voltage divider.

I have most of the parts now.  The circuit would follow Fig. 4 and/or Fig. 5 of #2,695,375.  Careful testing will begin on the weekend of the 6th & 7th of Aug.

Got to go.  Will update this later.

--Lee

Reedit, 4 Aug '11:  Added Patent 'Web link to patent number; it runs.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

I have most of the parts now.  The circuit would follow Fig. 4 and/or Fig. 5 of #2,695,375.  Careful testing will begin on the weekend of the 6th & 7th of Aug.

Got to go.  Will update this late

To start, I'll also add Patent #2,413,681
http://www.google.com/patents?id=ExpkAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=patent:2413681&hl=en&ei=--Y-Tqe8HPLViAKa873DBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA
"Luminescent Tube System and Apparatus"

This differs from the previous one such that it's a parallel system.  Built in efficiency occurs when the paralleled tubes each have a series inductor(w/iron core in the patent text) and a ballast capacitor.  One unit leads in reactance and the other lags, thus approximating reactance unity.

This theory can be tested by me for the accurate prediction of said efficiency.

Now, for testing, I'll wire two of the small Radio Shack 12 VAC, .45 A transformers in series, with their secondaries facing to my right.  Then I'll take ten of the same type of transformers in series with the secondaries to my left, so that the step-up ratio is 2:10 = 5 to 1, increasing; thus giving 120 VAC * 5 = 600 VAC.

600 VAC should be enough for starters on the two 6W, 18" fluorescent tubes I bought new from a hardware store.  Then I'll test modifications to this simplest of circuits after that.




Will return later with edited updates.
Here's one:
Results of the first tests with a voltmeter were not what I expected to see.  I stepped the voltage of a Radio Shack #273-1365 (12.6 VAC, .45 A) transformer with another like it as well as 2 ea. Radio Shack #273-1511 (12.6 VAC, 3 A) next to it, above and below, in series and backwards to the first one to step up the secondary output by 3 times.

Whatever I did, I got 100VAC at the output on an analog VOM.  The "output" being a set of 3 series primaries with a 6W fluorescent tube connected to both sides of it with alligator clip leads.

I don't know why.  Adding 2ea. 500V non-polarized caps; as well as an inductor (40 turns of 24ga. speaker wire on a paper toilet tube roll w/ 1 5/8" outside dia.) simultaneously gave the same reading.  Crossing the leads of both primary or secondary (one at a time) made no difference.  Adding a Radio Shack 120VAC neon in parallel with the input made no difference.

I suppose the next thing to do is add more transformers to the output and should give a higher output reading on the meter.  Will do that next.
Next Experiment:
Learning by way of the experience, I find that putting 120 VAC to the secondary of a line transformer obviously gives 1,200 VAC on the primary.  This by itself will light a fluorescent tube.  Putting another transformer in series with that to step up the voltage to 12,000 VAC causes an ominous buzzing sound in the transformer and tube.

OKAY!!  That's enough of that.  Driving a transformer designed for line mains voltage isn't good enough for that much voltage.  I do have single-wire-wound transformer-like contraptions that have heavier wire and are spaced by 3/8"-1/2" of air as a dielectric.  I just don't necessarily want to put a helluva lot of voltage on a string of them.

I'll have to decide what to do about this, but, Tesla Patent #462,418 comes to mind.  It can be configured to look like a hairpin circuit.


--Lee

Reedit, 8 Aug '11:  Transcribed test results with further testing personally recommended to myself.  And restated the thread title.
Reedit, 9 Aug '11:  Appended another experimental result to the end of this post.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

I'll have to decide what to do about this, but, Tesla Patent #462,418 comes to mind.  It can be configured to look like a hairpin circuit.

The patent in question:
#462,418
http://www.google.com/patents?id=66VeAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=patent:462418&hl=en&ei=8ImPTr2mOKWNsQKZ86GJAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ

Now, for a specialized, hand-wound transformer, I modify the core of the transformer on pg. 1 of this patent...
http://www.google.com/patents?id=7gjIAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=patent:20090160350&hl=en&ei=YYmPTv6jAaT_sQKKztCnAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA

Looking at the first page, the 'C' core transformer is what I'll start with.   A 120 VAC to 1200VAC commercial step-up filament transformer will input wall current at 60 Hz.  Then, my set of coke bottle, single wire transformer will be bolstered by thin wall 1/2" conduit to function as a transformer core, as cut into 20" lengths out of a 10' stick of conduit.  They'll be strung up both sides.  At the closed-off 90 deg. end, I'll probably set up another step-up transformer set to increase voltage further before additional voltage transformation(s).
       Right now, I have about 20 double-bottle transformers, taped together top-to-top and covered between the tops with more tape and wooden shims; and I should have a lot more.  That way, as much wire as is feasible will safely handle up to say 500-1,000 VAC while each core turn being separated by about 3/8"--1/2" on each bottle.  The dielectric of the glass, tape and glass bottle should be enough to safely handle the voltage, although all means should be used to lower the volts/turn ratio is as much as possible, as well as the length of wire being great enough to present a sizable electrical impedance to the current.

I'll continue this later with a more complete description.  This is Friday and the computer lab I'm at is closing.

--Lee

Reedit, 10 Oct '11:   Added further descriptions to text.

[the_big_m_in_ok]

I'll continue this later with a more complete description.  This is Friday and the computer lab I'm at is closing.

As an extension of Reply #7 (this thread), take a look at this patent:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=vXpNAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false
(Look at Fig. 6, Pg. 4)

Okay, as Parts LL1, LL2, LL3 & LL4 are drawn on Fig. 6, so I'm wiring coils the same way on soda & beer bottles the same way.   I'll be wiring them in series to make a high voltage transformer about 15' long on the floor---and for an 'iron' core---1/2", thin-walled, galvanized, thin-wall electrical conduit.



They'll be arranged like Part #240 in this Patent Application:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=PpvNAAAAEBAJ&dq=patent:20100060179&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=0&as_miny_ap=&as_maxm_ap=0&as_maxy_ap=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=10
(Look at Fig. 3, pg.4)

Part #240 is a 3-sided transformer core and I'm setting my coils in series, with conduit steel cores in two lines, from the flat end of the transformer and from there, heading down on the left and right sides of the arms toward transistors Q220 & Q230.

I expect to input 2400 VAC to the bottom of the step-up transformer and further increaase the voltage by at least 25 times.  That should give 60 KV to be output to a Lakhovsky radiator coil---or a set of 2, one at the end of each arm.
        I'm winding the coils by hand after I've taped soda/beer bottles together.  My latest ones are over 3' long, 3" in dia. and have about 50-60 turns on the coil of one continous wire, each turn being about 3/8" to 1/2" apart.

Time is getting short on this computer.  Will return later.

--Lee

[the_big_m_in_ok]

...with parallel/series transformer circuit to spark a xenon tube:

       Take a look at this while I continue to input this post from borrowed computer(s) at the library:

http://sub.allaboutcircuits.com/images/quiz/00245x01.png

Will be back.

--Lee