[Boatanchors] AC Line Voltage Regulation

[Jerry]

I changed the subject title as it may have been misleading.  I live in a
rural part of Connecticut and my line voltage varies from 114 vac on some
days to 129 vac on others ... it is fairly steady on any particular day.  I
have used my heavy duty Variacs but would prefer something that doesn't need
daily adjustments.  Complaining to the power company has not helped.

 Someone mentioned that the BAMA article was thyristor-based not just a
bucking xfrmr and offered some regulation besides reduction.  I was thinking
of an AC constant 115 vac regulator system capable of handling several of my
boatanchors (eg 10A) using TRIAC's but I have read that the output waveform
is distorted, maybe MOSFETs and SPWM?   Has anyone needed or bothered to go
to such an elaborate setup?

TIA, 
Jerry
K1JOS


-----Original Message-----
From: jmfranke [mailto:jmfranke at cox.net] 
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 10:24 AM
To: jfor at quikus.com; Jerry
Cc: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] BAMA Voltage Reducer Article

Yes, this will work, but for reducing the voltage it is better to put the
secondary in series with the primary. The phasing of the secondary is
selected to reduce the voltage across the primary. What is being done is the
secondary winding is being added to the turns in the primary winding. The
supply neutral is connected the free end of the primary and the supply line
is connected to the free end of the secondary. The output neutral is
connected to the input neutral and the output line is connected to the tap
between the primary and secondary. The reduces the voltage across the
primary which reduces the transformer losses. Too many transformers are
designed with the input voltage getting close to core saturation and the
method suggested in the BAMA article puts the higher line voltage across the
primary, which pushes the transformer even closer to saturation.

John  WA4WDL
--------------------------------------------------
From: "J. Forster" <jfor at quikus.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 10:07 AM
To: "Jerry" <jsternmd at att.net>
Cc: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] BAMA Voltage Reducer Article

> Just wire up a 6 or 12 volt filament transformer to buck the line.
>
> Primary goes across line and neutral; secondary goes in series with 
> hot side between line and load, phased to reduce line voltage; 
> secondary amp capacity must be > load current.
>
> Done,
>
> -John
>
> ===============
>
>
>> A while ago the BAMA list had a nice article on building a voltage 
>> reducer to drop modern line voltage back t0o 110-115 vac.  BAMA 
>> mirror site Edebris does not have the article.  If someone has a copy 
>> can they email to me at jsternmd {at} att {dot} net
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Jerry
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