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Re: [Amps] Microwave Oven Power Transformer

To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Amps] Microwave Oven Power Transformer
From: Steve Thompson <g8gsq72@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:21:25 +0000
List-post: <amps@contesting.com">mailto:amps@contesting.com>
I can't pretend my comment came from such detailed understanding or analysis - I just wound the primary volts down until the (no load) primary current dropped noticeably and the core didn't fry without fan cooling. They might have been wound for the days when our mains was 245-250V, now it's typically 230V at my workshop so the 200ishV I was applying could have been a larger reduction from nominal. I don't think I explored how efficiency as a complete PSU varied with primary volts.

One of the joys of free materials is that everyone can do their own experiments and learn something along the way.

Steve

Hi Steve, Carl, and all,

Normally, 10 or 15% reduction in volts is enough to bring the
magnetising current down,


Not really, with MOTs. It would still have an excessive
magnetizing current!

I just took a 1400 watt MOT I happen to have in my junkbox, and
ran it through some engineering.


To use the windings as they are, the most convenient flux
density for typical ham amplifier use is reached almost exactly
when applying half the rated voltage. So the suggestion of
using two identical MOTs in series isn't a bad one.


Operating under those conditions, the true CCS ratings without
forced air cooling would be 241 watts input, 91% efficiency,
6.4% voltage drop at full load. The output voltage would of
course also be half the rated one.


Rating this same transformer for ICAS, of course the power
rating would go up, with both the efficiency and voltage drop
getting worse. I don't know the specifications for ICAS, in
terms of what percentage of time what load must be assumed. I
think I remember that some old Handbook said that you can take
"safely" 40% more current in ICAS. If so, that would equate to
an input power of 337W, 9% voltage drop, and 89.1% efficiency
at full load.

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