Photonicinduction - 20,000 Amp Breaker Switch - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: max666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2015, 10:49:40 pm
content: Man, this is some High Current DC Breaker Switch PornLook at it, it's a thing of beauty!

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 12:50:21 am
content: I enjoy his videos. He shows a lot of things that I would have otherwise never had a chance to see. Good to see him posting again.

author: max666
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 12:58:00 am
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on October 19, 2015, 12:50:21 amIndeed.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 01:17:16 am
content: Sexy. Not only do the contacts have significant contact from the springiness, they also wipe very effectively due to the spring stretching as it's pushed down. Also, amazed how shiny all that copper is, after all these years!Tim

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 02:26:33 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 19, 2015, 02:02:24 amhttps://youtu.be/uXEPy6Za6cI

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 02:34:16 am
content: That circuit breaker is a thing of beauty.

author: rickselectricalprojects
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 02:38:38 am
content: i loved this video, but it kinda made me sad how he was arcing that breaker at around six minutes in the video.

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 02:40:41 am
content: Quote from: Excavatoree on October 19, 2015, 02:34:16 am^Agreed.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 09:57:04 am
content: Good old British engineering.Love the big glass bulb Mercury arc rectifiers on the shelf in the background. I've always wanted one of those (Mercury pool intact of course) as a living room ornament!P.S. Please don't torture those poor arc blowout contacts any more

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 10:23:15 am
content: A submarine is one possible origin for a breaker like this but so is the battery room of a telephone exchange. With containers of acid and 50V @ Godknowshowmany Amps it's a challenging Health and Safety environment.

author: eas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2015, 04:38:58 pm
content: Quote from: German_EE on October 19, 2015, 10:23:15 amThat's what I was thinking, but 16,000A?On a recent visit to a local telecom museum that maintains a working portion of a panel switch, and two generation of crossbar switches, I took a photo of abig switch used for switching to the reserve batteries. The panel it is associated with has anammeter that goes to 1,200Awith a note on it to log load over 900A.Of course, it all depends on how many exchanges/lines are being supported. Urban central offices could be high-rise buildings in their own right, serving multiple exchanges of ~9,999 lines/exchange.

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 21, 2015, 01:35:19 am
content: Quote from: rickselectricalprojects on October 19, 2015, 02:38:38 amYeah, that part was a bit painful to watch.Very cool old piece of hardware!-Pat

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2015, 07:07:51 pm
content: Quote from: eas on October 19, 2015, 04:38:58 pmthe 20000A rating is only for 2.5 seconds, the continues rating is "only" 1600A-Lasse

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2015, 07:52:47 pm
content: Those contacts are a thing of beauty. I was smiling and cringing at the same time when he was sustaining that arc.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2015, 11:49:54 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on October 19, 2015, 02:26:33 amDid anyone else notice he never crimped those massive lugs? So the connection to the cables is really poor.

author: elex_enthusiast
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2015, 12:58:57 pm
content: Quite amazing BUT does he needs to waste a lot of electricity just to entertain other (and for the sake of views). Interesting though... I wonder if there's a kind of ammeter that can measure such a huge amount of current. If there's any please let us know..

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2015, 05:24:09 pm
content: It's not all that much, maybe a few cents per video. If he were doing that kind of power for hours on end, he'd be spending a few quid. (Give or take that I'm probably underestimating UK rates.)He installed quite a sophisticated system of taking power from the mains panel and transmitting it through heavy cables, to the control station(s) he built. This has always been his hobby of sorts, and having such a system is something of a dream. Why not share it with others?Tim

author: bktemp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2015, 05:50:15 pm
content: A bit off topic but can anybody explain how his 20kW power supply works?The main unit is a 3 phase variac. A large cable goes into a small box with voltage, current and power display. Its output has only two wires. How does this work? Is there a 3 phase rectifier in the box?

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2015, 05:54:32 pm
content: I expect he's only drawing off a pair of phases. 20kW would be the figure for the whole set, limited by the main breaker. I think the little box goes to 10kW, so that would make sense.Tim

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2015, 05:56:57 pm
content: Remember he also does a lot of his rather heavy draw using economy 7 power, and in any case he has installed some large batteries and inverters to handle running the whole house off economy 7 power in most cases.As to measuring 20kA of current, that is easy with a moving magnet meter held next to the conductor, it will deflect with the current flow, or just hold a permanent magnet on a spring balance above it and see the mass change as the current repels or attracts the magnet.As to the "sodding overkill variac" that is simply wired so all 3 are in parallel so it basically becomes 3 times higher in centre contact current, and he also has a separate 20kVA 115/230/440 supply transformer to give him the ability to have either higher voltage or higher current, with the only limit being the tap current on the variac and just how much he wants to exceed the nameplate rating on it.

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2015, 06:58:04 pm
content: Is mains supply CU just appears the be standard 240v single phase 100 amp.

author: GamerAndds
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2016, 02:21:11 pm
content: Amazing! Its amazing to see old technology. Some things today would be so cheaply made its saddining! THat could easily withstand more current!I Love Old Technology they play a more rugged role...