HUGE inductors :)

[AdelaaR]

I work as a freelance technician for the Belgian telephone company and yesterday in one of the distribution centers I came across some HUGE inductors:



I put my hand right next to them to give you an impression of their size ... they are about 12 inches high and 4 wide.
I never paid much atention to such things until I got interested in speakers and crossovers lately

[servicetech]

Inductor or power transformer? Looks like a 230V 3 phase (one transformer for each phase).

[Bent]

there's a terminal blocl on the top with terminals marked N, 230, 230, 230...

I suspect (and would bet) it's a dry-type transformer as well.

[---k---]

I wonder how much $$ you could get for copper scrap out of those?

[AdelaaR]

I must say I feel stupid for not looking at the plain obvious markings and color codes of the connectors on top.
Obviously this is some kind of huge 3-phase transformer indeed.
What is the difference between a transformer and an inductor anyway?
They both are wound galvanized copper, right?

As for the $$ ... the thing weighed about 40 kilo's so that's not bad ... If I would I could steal millions worth of equipment at my employer, but I'd rather keep my job.

[stuofsci02]

It is probably a line or load reactor... Infact I am quite sure of it.. But it is really basically a big three phase inductor...

I bet if you went to google and searched for load reactor images you would see something similar.

[cbark]

stuofsci02 beat me to it, looks like a line reactor. We have some pretty large inductors at work on an old 75hp VFD. A single inductor is probably 12 to 18 inches in diameter. Crazy stuff!

[AdelaaR]

So it IS an inductor then?

I can get my hands on three of those babies totaling 9 of the coils ... can anybody design me a HUGE speaker as big as a house for them please

[servicetech]

A transformer is an inductor, it just has 2 sets of windings. One set creates the magnetic field the other set changes magnetic back to electrical power. If the "secondary side" is left unhooked it's just an ordinary inductor.

[cbark]

...for anybody that is interested. I snapped a couple pics at work today. Old and dusty, been laying around a while.

Picture 1 is a three phase line reactor and the second is of an inductor! 8O Notice the green mechanical pencil laying across the eye hooks (used to move the inductor) in the second picture. I imagine some power company guys playing with some larger stuff, but this in not your average inductor.

[Bent]

Three phase shunt reactor (Supersized)

http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/ea2e82e2225b4973c12575af00501fe6.aspx

[benchtester]

IIRC this is an inductor for a single ended Class A power amp. (Notice the scale compared to the Bic lighter.)

The designer/builder is Magura on diyaudio. Real nice guy, who made it to the first Burning Amp. (Impressive since he came from Denmark!)

[cbark]

Three phase shunt reactor (Supersized)
http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/ea2...f00501fe6.aspx

Power company stuff, 420kV trans lines. Wild. Ever see a power transmission line transformer let go?

Something else to note, the inductor in my post above is from a 1980ish vintage drive the size of two normal refigerators. In comparison, I looked at two drives yesterday of the 2011 vintage, and both would fit in a space no larger than a small dorm refrigerator. (two 30kW units) ...ahh technology.

[stuofsci02]

Power company stuff, 420kV trans lines. Wild. Ever see a power transmission line transformer let go?

Something else to note, the inductor in my post above is from a 1980ish vintage drive the size of two normal refigerators. In comparison, I looked at two drives yesterday of the 2011 vintage, and both would fit in a space no larger than a small dorm refrigerator. (two 30kW units) ...ahh technology.

Yep.. With the invention of the IGBT things got a lot smaller.. Like with the old computers..

[Bent]

Power company stuff, 420kV trans lines. Wild. Ever see a power transmission line transformer let go?

yes.