Kevin Weddle

http://www.electronics-lab.com/articles/transformers/index.html I found your article very interesting and very in depth. I am not interested, at this point, in mass production. My question is about the electrical characteristic. My calculations involve inductive reactance rather than number of turns. What is going to be the drawback in my shortcuts to building the stepup autotransformer? Is there any wrapping that goes between the core and the winding?

Does anybody notice how often the biasing is less than optimum when trying to incorporate a few transistors in a circuit. I seem to be satisfied when the circuit works on paper, even though I am applying a signal directly to a PN junction. Any thoughts as to why many circuits can get away with this.

Thank you for the website. I noticed that the power flux density requires a relatively small area. The main problem is the laminated core. It looks like I will have to strip apart a transformer. I had something different in mind when it comes to the electrical characterstic too. My idea for the autotransformer was to measure the inductive reactance and not worry about the turns. You can see it this way easily with the stepdown.

I am building a stepup autotransformer. I have been told that the solution to the core is to strip old transformers of their cores, glue them together, and use a cardboard form to wrap the magnet wire. This is from a culmination of advice. Does anybody have something to add to this? Also, the examples I have seen have a large area as opposed to just length.

I think I follow. But you have to admit that although the inductive reactance is greater than the capacitive reactance for good ripple reduction, the idea of equal reactance is tempting. Maximum power is transfered to the circuit when the peak voltage is in phase with peak current.

I have a question. If you have a simple LC filter with the output taken across the capacitor, does the load current and voltage depend on the fact that maximum power occurs when the source voltage is in phase with the current. This would mean the inductive reactance should equal the capacitive reactance.

The load is not across the capacitor. The final capacitor charges to the peak of the cycle. The other capacitors keep charged to a voltage and pass the AC. When the cycle continues the diode is reversed and the final capacitor delivers to the load.

Watch for the input power. If the input power does not matter, then use any amplifier. If it does matter, use an opamp because the low current will help to establish voltage.

Does the final capacitor in a voltage multiplier determine the current that is supplied to the load? I think the other capacitors can be smaller, which results in a reduced output voltage.

What is the maximum frequency that is reasonable to work with?Something that can be averaged to a DC level and measured with a meter.