Fusion Message Board

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Subject: Re: Power Supply Issues
Date: Jul 07, 2:59 pm
Poster: Richard Hester

On Jul 07, 2:59 pm, Richard Hester wrote:

Neon sign transformers have a center tapped secondary, with the center tap grounded to the case. What you have in reality is a +/- 6kV AC transformer. What you need is a (-) HV supply with a solid ground. You can do a full-wave doubler with a neon sign transformer, but that leaves you with +/- HV, not a healthy state of affairs. If you want to stay with the neon transformer, what you can use is a single or bi-phase multiplier circuit. That will get you a minus HV and ground, but at the cost of several HV caps and diodes. Microwave diodes might work ok, but finding the capacitors is another matter.

Richard Hester




>I am sure this is covered in a previous post, but can't find it.
>
>I have purchased a 12KV, 60ma neon-type transformer for use in my fusor. I intend to rectify this to DC using a self-built rectifier. Coupled with a variac, this should produce about 0-17KV.
>
>The problem I have is this: I have read that grounded neon transformers should not be used for the fusor. Why? It should be a simple matter to produce the -5KV to -9KV that I intend to run it at initially. In fact, it seems that once to pass through the diode bridge, you loose your original ground reference anyways.
>
>Any thoughts?