A strange Electronic component

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,682
the unit is not working, technician checked it and told us that part is not working, but no troubleshoots performed as it was a "black box" for us.
machine is used as induction heater "specially annealing"
The ones I worked on that used a tube and a mercury rectifier bank (circa 1960), in the 10 years I serviced them, it was never the triode, rectifiers and main contactors and interlocks etc were the main cause of problems, the operating freq. was 470Khz.
Do you have any manuf. documentation? Schematic etc?
Max.
 
I agree, the tube is probably not the problem. They generally get weaker.

I also agree that this thing is lethal. I worked on a 100 kV at 0.1 A power supply and the 15 kV at 1,5 A supply (in a e-beam evaporator) used a tube as a series regulator. That was the section that failed. My predecessor just replaced the transistor driver. I got fed up and replaced a lot more parts and it was working when I retired.
I also worked on a 100 W 13.56 MHz tube transmitter. Again, you don;t want to play with this stuff. I've been working with high voltage since my teens, but this stuff was scary at least the first time I worked on it.

The discharge hook is essential. I do mean hook because bad things can happen with a straight probe.

I'd also look at failed interlocks. One issue with the transmitter was a differential pressure switch.
 

Deleted member 115935

Joined Dec 31, 1969
0
Oh my.

these things are killers....

The capacitor can be discharged, leave it for a few minutes and its back up at volts with no external input.
Working on these the old " I have seen quick engineers and old engineers, but i have nether seen a quick old engineer".

work slow and think .. Else you will not be posting on here again..
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,682
The nature of the work material needs to be known as the OP mentions "specially annealing", annealing generally does not need that high a freq. case hardening is usually higher out of the two, depends on the item.
Max.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,682
A grid dip meter is used to read a coil to find the inductance etc non-invasively.
Stainless steel annealing used higher frequency than iron or simple carbon steel.
Max.
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
A grid dip meter is used to read a coil to find the inductance etc non-invasively.
Stainless steel annealing used higher frequency than iron or simple carbon steel.
Max.
A digital counter is much easier to obtain - but only works if you can fire up the RF heater.

And direct connection between instrument and equipment would be unwise - there should be plenty of RF field around the coil head.

OTOH: It could just be a weak emission tube - not enough power to anneal anything, but still enough oscillation to detect and measure.
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
But you can't just walk into a store and buy one.

Even a NOS dipper from eBay could be old and drifted - you need the counter to verify its calibration.

Its easier to just go straight to the counter.

Even with a low emission tube; the generator should produce enough RF field to pick up with a small coil.
 
Top