[Amps] 20kw Dummy load?

[Will Matney <craxd1@ezwv.com>]

Robin,
Lo and behold, God help me for telling this one. You might just try 
using saltwater in a tank for that load you need. I seen a dummy load 
built with two electrodes sticking in salt water. The water was made 
conductive enough by adding enough salt to (saturating) the water with 
periodic checking of it resistance. I actually seen one made in a "Mason 
Jar" for a low power amp of a few hundred watts and it worked. Now lets 
suppose you used something like a 50 gallon steel tank, using the tank 
itself for one electrode. Add the water and a bunch of salt until you 
started getting around the correct resistance, or you can move the 
electrodes around closer to adjust the same. Now not being joking about 
this at all, it really could work, the only problem would be the testing 
without blowing up that expensive amp! Plus I had to tell this, just 
could not resist it no more.

Now for my preferred route. Buy you some "Carborundum" tubular 
resistors. They are non-inductive.They figure the power rating for one 
minute X10 (100 watt, 8") if submersed in oil or water cooled is longer. 
You would need 20, 1000 ohm, 100 watt resistors in parallel to do what 
your wanting to. Kanthal Globar makes these tubular resistors in sizes 
above 100 watts. There's a 24" long, 2" dia. one with a rating of 1Kw. 
The resistance range is 1.0 to 600, part number 892-SP. It also has a 22 
Kv rating which is more than you need. Your rating would need to be at 
least 1 Kv. So, you might use two 100 ohm, 1000 watt resistors in 
parallel, with oil or water cooling to do what you want. Oil for about 
one minute and water for some longer.

http://www.globar.com/ec/tubular.php.html

There are "planar" style resistors which are heatsink mounted. Ohmite 
makes these with a 1000 watt rating.

http://www.ohmite.com/cgi-bin/showpage.cgi?product=tap1000_series

Keep in mind that the voltage rating must be met too! These planars are 
rated for 2000 Vdc max. You might as well just build one as you'll be 
needing it if you keep that amp often.

Will Matney
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