bombarder flashback

To: neon list <neon-l@netcom.com>
Subject: bombarder flashback
From: tmjdorr <103461.3123@compuserve.com>
Date: 23 Jan 96 22:01:28 EST
Reply-To: neon-l@netcom.com
Sender: owner-neon-l@netcom.com

Have been watching posts on bombarder flashback and must agree that putting a
grounding electrode on a glass manifold is the way to go, safetywise (mine has
one), especially if you have any metal backfill or electronic gauges.  I'm using
a power company 'potential transformer' for the bombarder (100:1 turns ratio,
240vac in).  It has a fully floating secondary (the 24kv side) - no ground
(mid-point or otherwise and was apparently designed for a (3 phase?)
line-to-line connection in it's normal service.  As such, it has virtually no
tendency to flash back to the manifold - sometimes just a weak purple haze, kind
of like a weak test coil type discharge.  I figure this is because the manifold
ground is the only ground in the HV circuit.  Question: (1) do regular
commercial bombarder transformers have any kind of secondary ground?  If not,
(2) will said bombarder tolerate it if you intentionally grounded one of it's
secondary terminals (the one at or closest to the tubulation)?  While this would
raise the other terminal to full secondary voltage, it would seem to totally
eliminate any possibility of flashback through the manifold.  Has anybody ever
tried this, or heard of anyone trying this???