On the Trail of a MegaVolt (fwd)

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 09:58:44 -0600
From: Carl Litton <Carl_Litton@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: On the Trail of a MegaVolt


Gentlemen,

Our local high voltage group is currently engaged in an ultra-high
voltage project.  I believe that the controlled generation of a Megavolt
is possible at the amateur level - not streamers/sparks from a Tesla
coil - but a real 1 million volts output from a specially constructed
power supply that can be operated without overheating (or blacking out
the neighborhood). 

To this end, we have acquired a large number of megavolt-rated
transformers.  Rated output at the secondaries is between 0.1 and 0.15
Megavolt.  We successfully created a control circuit allowing us to run
a 0.15 Megavolt transformer to dead short or air gap without internal
arcing or overheating in any part of the circuit for our 8' tall Jacob's
Ladder this Halloween.  In fact, we were finally able to power it beyond
its rated output without problems (~0.175 Megavolt):

Brief synopsis and pictures here:  
(http://www.dawntreader.net/hvgroup/megavolt.html)

This preamble brings me to my question that I want to submit for review
and comment by all the great science available on this list.  Has anyone
actually used any of the so-called 'stacking techniques' for MOT's that
are all over the HiV pages on the net but without any real photos of
such in actual operation?  These techniques purport to allow the
'stacking' of notoriously friable MOT's such that 4 to 8 times their
2100Volt rated output can be continuously produced without subjecting
the windings to more than twice their rating.

One such advises the direct connection of the secondaries of 2 MOT's to
produce "120 volts which 2100Volts above ground" at the primary of the
second MOT???  I can't get my mind around this to believe it.  Then the
technique advises that the primaries of 4 more MOT's may now be
connected to this output in 'anti-parallel' manner.  What in the world
is 'anti-parallel?'  Then the secondaries of the 4-pack may be series
for a usable 8400 volts.  Further, it states a 'mirror image' stack can
be built and added in series to give twice that voltage.

This would, of course, be wonderful if it were true.  Since most (~ 60%
of them) of these megavolt transformers are not center tapped, an MVT
stack is certainly conceivable following the same concept.

Please share your thoughts.

Carl Litton, Director
Raleigh-Bartlett Science Club