Joule Ringer!

[JouleSeeker]

Great comments.  Thanks Lynxsteam -- and that light box of yours is LOOKING GREAT, Brad! I see you're using the Lux meter I recommended also; same as I use.    It was easy to build, huh?

Fast calibration -- run with the full set of bulbs (1 but Lynx and Peanutbutter say use more, like four or SIX) in place in the light box, using the GRID AC.  Add up the rated lumens for THESE bulbs, and measure the LUX on your meter; divide to get the { rated-Lumens/observed-Lux ratio} for your light box (and meter).    This is your calibration factor.

Then, without moving any bulbs, power the bulbs up using the blocking oscillator (whatever one wants to call it!  ) -- and measure the Lux output!   Multiply by the Lm/Lux-ratio above, and this gives the Lumens output.
Finally, divide Lumens by Watts input -- voila, Lm/W!  Then we can make comparisons and measure our progress to GREATER and greater Lm/W...



Now -- I've made some progress today after the "honey-do's" were done.
The best I could do this morning was about 23 Lm/W.  Well, I managed to double that.  Here's how.

First, I finally rec'd a couple of high-efficiency bulbs I'd ordered, and these run at about 1 W using the mains and put out nearly 80 Lumens in the light box -- 80 Lm/W, which is great! 
So I used this bulb, and immediately the yield with the AIR core SJR-2.0 jumped up to about 40 Lm/ W. I varied the voltage; here is near the optimum with changing only the bulb from previous runs this morning:

9V in; 0.8 A, so 7.2 W in.
3700 Lux in the light box, times 0.08 (my calibration-conversion factor for this box) = 296 Lumens.
296Lm/7.2W = 41 Lm/W -- not bad.

PS -- freq = 157 KHz; V-rms output = 104 V with this load.

Note: at 12V, I get just 29 Lm/W...  So there is some tuning associated with varying the voltage.  A broad maximum -- from 7V to 9V input, the yield stays near 40 Lm/W.

OH -- note that the bulb says it is for 220V, 50 Hz -- but it works just fine with the above conditions!  Someone asked about that; I think it was Jules.  Here's the bulb I'd now recommend, Jules:
Cheap E27 1.5W 36 LED 252LM White Light LED Light Bulb AC180~240V;50HZ,5500~6000K | Everbuying.com
-- and only $8.93 each if you buy 2... 
It does not put out the Lm/W advertised on-line, but at about 80 Lm/W measured in my light box, it is better than other LED bulbs I've tested (typically 55-65 Lm/W).

Next, I tried a trick used by Lynx earlier, I compressed the primary winding down to about 3" along the base of the coil -- so it covers now maybe 1/4 of the secondary coil... starting to look like a Tesla coil now.

Results -- my best to date -- follow:
9V in; 0.33 A, so 3 W in.
1990 Lux in the light box, times 0.08 (my calibration-conversion factor for this box) = 159 Lumens.

159Lm/3W = 53 Lm/W -- a big improvement from 23 max this morning! 

PS -- freq = 178 KHz; V-rms output = 84 V with this new bulb and the primary coil concentrated at the bottom.

Whew!    (PS -- I'm not claiming OU at this stage!!)

[JouleSeeker]

My calculations in bold:

Professor - here goes!  I recorded some numbers and I hope you can make some sense of them.  First let me say that the transformer reguired the 4.8 watt LED string connected to get it to run.  It runs in the 240 to 280mA range for a while and then it jumped to 450mA.  I got my readings when it was at 450.  All readings used 12 Volt source.

1.2 watt FEIT rated at 74 Lumens.
AC Power - 1030 Lux
calibration factor:  74/1030 = 0.072


2.0 watt LOA rated at 110 Lumens
AC Power - 1370 Lux
  calibration factor:  110/1370 = 0.08; average calibration factor is 0.076.  With more bulbs of known Lumens, you could improve the accuracy...  0.076 is close enough for now -- you evidently have about the same conditions as in my box, factor = 0.080 in mine.Now, for the tests with the Lynx-type air core SJR:

AirCore LJL - 580 mA - 1672 Lux
  1672 * 0.076 = 127 Lm;  127/7 W = 18.  (about what I found this morning with the air core SJR, 20 -- good agreement actually)
Torid Transformer - 450 mA - 2290 Lux
  2290 * 0.076 = 174 / 12*0.45 = 174/5.4 = 32 Lm/W -- improving!


AirCore LJL - 620 mA - 1595 Lux
  121 Lm/ 7.4W = 16 Lm/W
Torid Transformer - 450 mA - 2090 Lux
  159 Lm/5.4 = 29 Lm/W

Both Bulbs Together
AC Power - 2620 Lux  (but I will use the same factor; tired, after midnight )
   AirCore LJL - 640 mA - 1824 Lux
1824 * .076 = 139 Lm   139/ 7.7W = 18 Lm/W
Torid Transformer - 480 mA - 2480 Lux
   188 Lm / 5.8 = 32 Lm/W.


BTW - I now understand the importance of the light box, Thanks!
Brad S   

You're most welcome!

Great progress and tests, Brad!  thanks for this work and for recording the numbers.  Now -- note that the "record" sits at 53 Lm/W (see post above) for actually measured Lumens using a calibrated box...I think you will get there and past soon.   

[conradelektro]

ConradElektro

It looks like you set up that E-Core exactly as Laser Saber specified, although his drawing shows 20:200 turns I think.  My latest has 16:160 turns.  I use just a tiny amount of adhesive between the E-Cores.  Its called "Shoe Goop" or just "Goop" brand.  It is flexible when set up, but very tough adhesive.  I think even double sided tape would work.  You just need something to cushion the chattering of the two cores together.

As for amp draw.  I am finding that more total turns (total of secondary and primary) lowers amp draw.  More turns equals more induction.  I am starting to wonder with my air-cores if turns ratio even matters.  I doubled the primary turns on my latest air-core and the bulbs still light nicely and the amp draw dropped by half.  So what happens if I double primary turns again?  We are not transforming AC/AC in a ratio.  This is a flyback transformer, so whatever AC voltage we generate the High Voltage spikes from flyback will ride on that waveform.

JouleSeeker's Lux/lumens findings vs watts input matches what I saw with the first prototype.  Now I am finding that I can drop the amps dramatically by increasing primary turns.

The other thing I find with the E-Cores and AirCores s that you wont see the full efficiency until you add more bulbs.  The air-core gets more and more impressive as you add bulbs.  One bulb takes 400 ma, 2 bulbs 500 ma.  Each added bulb only consumes 100 ma more.  The E-Core is a little different.  It will consume only about 400 ma and little more as you add more bulbs.  So a one bulb test doesn't tell the whole story on these devices.

@Lynxsteam

Thank you for the comments, that helps. The glue is a good idea, I have some which hardens into a rubber like substance.

My E-core has a primary of 2 wires wound in parallel with 10 turns and a secondary of 100 turns (all bell wire). So, using just one wire of the primary (the other stays unconnected) results in a step up ratio of 1:10. My last post reported the results with this 1:10 ratio.

Today I connected the two primary wires in series which results in a step up ration of 20:100 = 1:5. This reduced the power draw of the big 9 Watt LED lamp almost by halve (at 12 V was ~1.3 A and is now ~ 0.7 A).

Other lamps are showing some difficulties with the 20:100 = 1:5 ratio:

The 5 W LED lamp needs 18 Volt to start, but I then can reduce to 13 Volt 0.4 A. (also a reduction of Amp draw).

The (unmodified) CFLs need 18V to 20V to start up, but can then be reduced to 12 Volt and also draw significantly less.

I will try 20:200 step up by rewinding the secondary with thinner enamelled copper wire (otherwise 200 turns will not fit on the bobbin). I also will hook up something to connect more light bulbs in a safe way.

My E-Core:
http://at.farnell.com/ferroxcube/etd49-25-16-3c90/ferrite-core-half-etd49-3c90/dp/3056417
http://at.farnell.com/ferroxcube/cli-etd49/ferritringkern-klammer/dp/105778
http://at.farnell.com/ferroxcube/cph-etd49-1s-20p/bobbin-etd49-1-section-20pin/dp/3056338

In the depth of my house I found "Core-Zilla" hiding in a dark corner for decades. It stems from a process-computer power supply (more than 1 KW) from the 1970-ies. We will see what I can do with it. Unfortunately the bobbins are lost, I have to build two from cardboard or acrylic or a combination of.

Greetings, Conrad

[Lynxsteam]

This is fantastic teamwork for people who have never met!  We are discovering and learning on a daily basis and putting the knowledge to work.

ConradElektro, thanks for confirming what I am seeing with increasing the primary turns.  I don't even bother with fluorescents now.  But as you have found they can be used with a high startup voltage.  But that requires some complication.  I am designing for the average person who doesn't want to be bothered with taking CFLs apart.

Can I suggest that we (JouleSeeker) start a new thread in regards to the Light Box testing?  Your work is very interesting and will get lost in everyone's different Joule Ringers.  Its definitely a new and important Phase in the development of two different setups, perhaps three.  SJR 2.0, LJL, and Torroid transformers.

Today I will make another LJL of the same size, but with 14 awg primary the full length of the secondary with multiple tap points.  My hunch is power draw can come down further with the AirCore and Induction can stay high.

Lastly, if anyone is out there, can someone diagram the current flow in the SJR 2.0 circuit with just one transistor?  It seems that the Flyback has to push back through the source battery between pulses.  Its like the battery is in the LC circuit getting charged between pulses.  Is this correct?  I would be happy to animate the circuit on YouTube if someone could diagram the action.

[JouleSeeker]

This is fantastic teamwork for people who have never met!  We are discovering and learning on a daily basis and putting the knowledge to work.

ConradElektro, thanks for confirming what I am seeing with increasing the primary turns.  I don't even bother with fluorescents now.  But as you have found they can be used with a high startup voltage.  But that requires some complication.  I am designing for the average person who doesn't want to be bothered with taking CFLs apart.

Can I suggest that we (JouleSeeker) start a new thread in regards to the Light Box testing?  Your work is very interesting and will get lost in everyone's different Joule Ringers.  Its definitely a new and important Phase in the development of two different setups, perhaps three.  SJR 2.0, LJL, and Torroid transformers.
[snip]

  Thanks for the encouragement, Lynxsteam - however, would rather not "proliferate threads" as this makes it difficult to follow the progress, with too many threads.  Already, I try to keep up with several...  and there is a parallel thread to this one at EF.

@all:  note that the Lux meter that Brad and I are using is available now at Amazon (Prime) for only $13.30 -- a big savings.
http://www.amazon.com/Light-Meter-LX1010B-Luxmeter-display/dp/B000JWUT6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337954180&sr=8-1