| Electronics > Beginners |
| Dumb question |
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| GadgetBoy:
If I take a transformer that takes 120v in and puts 24v out and put the mains on the secondary instead, will it output 600v on the primary? Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk |
| ArthurDent:
Absolutely not!! |
| CatalinaWOW:
--- Quote from: ArthurDent on September 25, 2018, 02:02:27 am ---Absolutely not!! --- End quote --- Technically the answer is yes. What you really should have done is explain why he should absolutely not do this. All other things being equal the turns ratio will end up giving about 600 volts when hooked up in reverse. BUT! The primary side of this transformer is wound to give a reasonable current when connected to the mains, and in fact to give that current with the design reflected load from the secondary. The secondary is not wound appropriately to give a reasonable current when connected to the mains, nor would the wire normally be sized appropriately for this use. What you will have created is not a high voltage transformer, but a fire starter. If you had a high impedance source (NOT THE MAINS) you could avoid the fire starter problem, but there would still be potential for dangerous problems. The primary windings have insulation designed for the mains voltage with appropriate safety margin. There is real doubt as to its adequacy of the insulation at five to six times its rated voltage. The same problems would occur in the secondary, which is design for 24 volts with some safety margin. These types of concerns are not deeply hidden dangers. It is well worth thinking through what could go wrong when using a device in a manner different than its intended application. Think about why the part is designed the way it is for it's intended usage. Then think about how your usage changes those assumptions. It isn't always wrong to use a part differently than originally designed. Sometimes it is brilliant (look into the use of a light bulb in the original Hewlett-Packard audio oscillator.) |
| Nusa:
Probably not, since while the math might look good for an IDEAL transformer, such things don't exist in the real world. The turns on one side are probably adjusted slightly to allow for efficiency losses, which would mean the theoretical 5:1 winding ratio is actually a bit higher. Which would work against you in a step-up application. Also, in the real world, keep voltages on each winding within the specified ranges for safety reasons. Wire insulation that works fine at 120V may fail badly at 600V. |
| helius:
To be specific, the windings are not sufficiently insulated to be safely used in that way. The primary and secondary must be insulated from each other, and insulation for 120V is not sufficient for 600V. The turns in each winding must also be insulated from one another, and the same problem exists there. Finally, the windings must be insulated from the core and chassis, and that may also be insufficient. |
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