Magnetron info needed
Magnetron info needed
(OP)
How sensitive is a magnetron to ground problems and power quality. Customer has an industrial microwave system that trips out on anode over-current. When the unit is sent back to the factory it runs fine.






RE: Magnetron info needed
It may not be the magnetron itself, but the power supply and control/protection circuits. The design is probably proprietary the oven manufacturer, and up to them as far as power-quality requirements.
Your best bet may be to watch the AC line to the oven with a power-quality logger for a time, and see if there any obvious patterns associated with the oven malfunction. It may not be easy, for juggling alarm limits usually takes some patience.
RE: Magnetron info needed
RE: Magnetron info needed
Are you able to {safely} measure anode current to verify in-spec operation? If an odd grounding arrangement changes the machine’s operation, then possibly a power-quality logger should be attached directly to the line terminals of the machine.
A methodical process of elimination is sometimes the only way to expose the problem.
RE: Magnetron info needed
RE: Magnetron info needed
RE: Magnetron info needed
Offhand, 28-versus-20% current distortion is probably not that big a deal, considering the “pea soup” harmonic currents can be. So, there was no noticeable transient activity on the source circuit at the same time as anode-current tripping?
It may be wise to only very carefully disconnect equipment grounding that is routed with the normal circuit conductors. Adding alternate paths may be OK, as long as they only supplement {not replace} Code-mandated practices.
RE: Magnetron info needed