Re: John Freau's phase adjuster- a few questions

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> 

I still have fundamental questions about this circuit.  How can an
UNGAPPED variac perform as a variable inductor when the voltage drop
across the windings results in core saturation?  When the core is not
saturated isn't the inductance so high that no useful current can flow?
How does this differ from just plugging a variac into the power line;
the magnetizing current (after any initial transient) is quite low if
the transformer isn't going to overheat at no load......

Ed