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Re: Final Capacitor Test Results



>>From Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-comWed Jun 12 21:01:50 1996
>Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 11:40:49 -0400
>From: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Final Capacitor Test Results
>

Ed,

        When I was reading your post I was thinking 'great - he found the
problem'.
I was haapy for you. But then came this part of the post :(

>Now the big news - so it turns out that Condenser Products was right.  The
>capacitor was indeed good.  Not so any more.  I was running at 35 to 40 amps
>of primary currrent (about 9KVA) and I was slowing increasing the rotary gap
>speed to see its impact on performance when the capacitor exploded.  It blew
>one end off, breaking the plastic around the area where it was glued, the
>glue held.  I heard a muffled explosion, saw a flash of light (fire?) and
>everything went dead.  These things are made up of 5 or 6 (I haven't taken
>them all out yet) sections all in series.  Each one is just a little less in
>diameter than the inside of the case and about three inches long.  It looks
>like it is wound with very fine foil and thin dielectric.  What a hell of a
>mess, it puked oil all over everything.
>
>Why did it fail?  Too much voltage or just too much total power?  This cap
>was only rated at 15kv.  This is 15kv Tesla coil service.  They knew my
>supply was a 14,400 volt pole pig.  Do I need to order a 20 or 25kv capacitor
>next time?
>
>Sorry this was so long.
>
>Ed Sonderman
>

A few years back I went to Orlando and found 2 30kvdc .01 caps at a surplus
place. I was using 2 15kv-at-30ma neons in parallel and a rotory gap that beated
like no ones business. I had the 2 caps in parallel for .02 at 15kv.
It was a good thing that my view was of the sides of
the tubular capacitors and not the ends. One cap exploded and embedded the end
stud into the wood housing of the project a foot away. Capacitor juice went
everywhere and I dismantled the entire project. I knew the caps setup was
rated at 15kv but I will never again try to match rating that close. I am
sure Condenser Products caps are ok and designed for Tesla coil operation but
I have chosen to buy my cap from them rated no less than 5kv above my operating
voltage. Oh...my experiment from above? (humbly).... I just wanted quick spark
with little knowledge. I stopped experimenting for a couple of years. I am back
and learning the right way!

Hope surprise funds come from somewhere to you so you can get a new cap. I have
been waiting to order mine because I didnt know if there would be a group order
or not.

Bob
 
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