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The Hackenberger Transformer
Dear David,
Pardon me for such a slow response but things have been so slow on this thread that I don't check in but once a month.
I'm presently doing hardware experiments with a complete Hackenberger transformer design. What makes it complete is that it has two primaries opposed to each other. During the last conference I was telling everyone that at the time I thought there was only one primary. However a simple look at the Pulse Motor Patent and re-reading the text confirmed to me that two primaries were employed. That is why they had two identical power supplies arranged in pairs.
I would guess that they took the ignition coils out of the cans and placed them end-to-end so that the magnetic fields would oppose. Something interesting must happen here when the primary is suddenly cut off - like in the Bedini system. The 1979 Hackenberger transformer (as presented at the Conference) is an advanced design that operates at a higher frequency, but not to high. Even though the yoke is made of ferrite the core is something else. (according to Al Francouer) According to the GD transcript they were using common core materials. Well that means there was only four (4) materials available. Silicon Steel, 55% Nickel steel, 70% Nickel Steel, and Ferrite.
Silicon steel is what is used in ignition transformers and is good up to 400 Hz. 55% Nickel Steel is good up to 10 kHz. Mr. Hackenberger was probably using this with his 1975 "Static" Generator that operated at 6 kHz. I doubt that they went beyond this frequency. Ferrite can operate up to 100 kHz (and higher these days) but its ability to store magnetic energy is about 1/10 of what Silicon Steel can hold. Since this is a fly-back process then magnetic field storage is probably a big factor.
I must admit that my present setup is all Ferrite. I still learning how this circuit works and what all the wave forms mean. But I least I now have the opposing primaries. Opposing primaries sure degrade the classical performance when compared to a single primary, but this is to be expected since the magnetic flux path that promotes transformer action is all messed up.
Another factor is "dead band". This is the time delay between one switching MOSFET turning On and the next one turning on. I suspect that this is where
we will find the non-classical behavior. Right now I can observe an interesting second secondary voltage output spike whose magnitude is a function of the dead band timing. To little then no spike, to much and again no spike. Its magnitude is about 90% of the observed voltage when one MOSFET turns off. I shall pay close attention to this waveform to see how it changes with a silicon steel core and much higher current pulses. I didn't notice this event with a single primary. Right now I'm working with 10% dead band and 6 Amp pulses.
It is interesting, but one of Don Smith designs is about 85% of this Hackenberger design, as far as the transformer configuration goes. He was working at much higher input voltages and it seemed to resemble more Tesla coil technology. This is a low voltage input process (to maximize flux density) that yields 3kV to 5kV output pulses when applied to an open circuit or a fully charged capacitor.
Now that it is colder I will be spending more time with experimentation and less time cleaning up the barn.
Really I'm just getting started in what needs to be explored with this technological approach.
Mark McKay, PE
Originally posted by David G Dawson
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Pardon me for such a slow response but things have been so slow on this thread that I don't check in but once a month.
I'm presently doing hardware experiments with a complete Hackenberger transformer design. What makes it complete is that it has two primaries opposed to each other. During the last conference I was telling everyone that at the time I thought there was only one primary. However a simple look at the Pulse Motor Patent and re-reading the text confirmed to me that two primaries were employed. That is why they had two identical power supplies arranged in pairs.
I would guess that they took the ignition coils out of the cans and placed them end-to-end so that the magnetic fields would oppose. Something interesting must happen here when the primary is suddenly cut off - like in the Bedini system. The 1979 Hackenberger transformer (as presented at the Conference) is an advanced design that operates at a higher frequency, but not to high. Even though the yoke is made of ferrite the core is something else. (according to Al Francouer) According to the GD transcript they were using common core materials. Well that means there was only four (4) materials available. Silicon Steel, 55% Nickel steel, 70% Nickel Steel, and Ferrite.
Silicon steel is what is used in ignition transformers and is good up to 400 Hz. 55% Nickel Steel is good up to 10 kHz. Mr. Hackenberger was probably using this with his 1975 "Static" Generator that operated at 6 kHz. I doubt that they went beyond this frequency. Ferrite can operate up to 100 kHz (and higher these days) but its ability to store magnetic energy is about 1/10 of what Silicon Steel can hold. Since this is a fly-back process then magnetic field storage is probably a big factor.
I must admit that my present setup is all Ferrite. I still learning how this circuit works and what all the wave forms mean. But I least I now have the opposing primaries. Opposing primaries sure degrade the classical performance when compared to a single primary, but this is to be expected since the magnetic flux path that promotes transformer action is all messed up.
Another factor is "dead band". This is the time delay between one switching MOSFET turning On and the next one turning on. I suspect that this is where
we will find the non-classical behavior. Right now I can observe an interesting second secondary voltage output spike whose magnitude is a function of the dead band timing. To little then no spike, to much and again no spike. Its magnitude is about 90% of the observed voltage when one MOSFET turns off. I shall pay close attention to this waveform to see how it changes with a silicon steel core and much higher current pulses. I didn't notice this event with a single primary. Right now I'm working with 10% dead band and 6 Amp pulses.
It is interesting, but one of Don Smith designs is about 85% of this Hackenberger design, as far as the transformer configuration goes. He was working at much higher input voltages and it seemed to resemble more Tesla coil technology. This is a low voltage input process (to maximize flux density) that yields 3kV to 5kV output pulses when applied to an open circuit or a fully charged capacitor.
Now that it is colder I will be spending more time with experimentation and less time cleaning up the barn.
Really I'm just getting started in what needs to be explored with this technological approach.
Mark McKay, PE
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