[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

The Equa-Drive System



Hello all,

I have seen a few "special" tank circuits and I suppose these are called
Equadrive systems. Let me sketch the setup: You need a ct´d HV xformer. Each
hv lead goes through a RFC to a capacitor. The upper lead (from the cap) goes
to the upper primary coil connection and the lower hv cap lead does the same
for the lower coil connection. The center tap of the transformer connects to a
center tap on the primary coil via a spark gap. Is this correct?

Crummy ASCII drawing:

|---------µRFCµ--------| |-----------------|
|                                              |
|<--HV xformer secondary          |
|------------------> <-----------------------| <----Primary of the Tesla coil
|                                              |
|                                              |
|-----------µRFCµ--------| |--------------|


And now my question: 
What is the advantage of this type of system? I can´t really see any. 

1.) You have to build two very identical caps (otherwise there won´t be a
"Equa" in the Equadrive system) 

2.) The construction (well the wiring really) of the primary is more
complicated. 

3.) Flashover might be a problem, too, because the voltage at the top half of
the primary is only half the voltage it would be in a normal TC tank circuit
(actually higher potential difference between Vsec and Vpri along any point on
the primary winding). 

4.) The last disadvantage I see is that part of the xformer winding is used to
"transport" the energy from the cap to the primary as the spark gap conducts.
This means HV RF current flows through the windings (I´m pretty sure this
would blow most NST´s) of the xformer. 

Now, whoever designed this system (I think such a schematic was actually drawn
by Nikola Tesla) had to see an advantage using it, but where is it?


Coiler greets from Germany,
Reinhard