[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: neon vs. potential transformer
From: John H. Couture[SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 1997 2:10 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: neon vs. potential transformer
At 04:01 AM 7/16/97 +0000, you wrote:
>
>From: FutureT-at-aol-dot-com[SMTP:FutureT-at-aol-dot-com]
>Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 1997 9:46 AM
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: neon vs. potential transformer
>
----------------------- snip
>Hi John C,
>
Again, I'm not concerned with my output power, only
>my spark length. We have a different viewpoint on this part of the matter
>since I'm more concerned with true input power vs. spark length, regardless
>of the "true" efficiency. Suppose it turns out that the best way to build a
>TC for longest sparks vs. input power is NOT the same way as to obtain
>best efficiency of output vs. input. This would be quite acceptable to me.
>I still don't see the importance of the energy in vs. energy out of a TC.
>This type of efficiency may or may not translate into long sparks and I
>suspect it may not.
>
-------------------------------------------
John F.
Using the "longest sparks vs input power" would only make sense if a time
period is involved which would mean you are talking about energy. The TC
spark represents energy not power. Power is the RATE that energy is produced
in the TC. When watts per foot of spark is used, a period of one second is
implied. This means many sparks are involved in the one second period and
should be averaged (controlled spark).
The importance of "energy in" vs "energy out" is that it is the correct
way to represent the spark producing abilities of a Tesla coil. The energy
in comes from the power transformer. The energy out is the total number of
secondary sparks in a period of time such as one second. The total number of
sparks are represented by the number of breaks per second. If only one
particular spark is used it would be very difficult to determine the energy
involved for that one spark.
The energy for the spark comes from the TC primary capacitor. The rate of
charging this capacitor is determined by the power (wattage) available from
the power transformer. The primary capacitor can be charged to a certain
energy level giving a certain spark length by a low wattage over a long
period of time or a high wattage over a short period of time. This means
that for a certain spark length the wattage can be anything unless a time
peroid is considered in the test. Wattage x time equals energy.
>
> One of the main problems with rating TC's today is the lack of a standard
method to do the tests to get the rating. Because a standard test has not
been agreed upon by coilers, comparing various Tesla coils and magnifiers
has only a non-scientific value.
John Couture
>
>