RE: The Freau number... (superior low altitude performance)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Lau, Gary" <gary.lau@xxxxxx>

If we're talking about coils with a static gap, it makes sense that
they'd perform better at low altitudes.  While it's clear that the
streamer length will be affected by atmospheric density, don't forget
that the static gap breakdown voltage will too.  A static gap breaks
down at a higher voltage at a lower altitude due to denser air, and
bangs will be bigger and performance improves.  But how this improvement
compares with diminished streamer length (all other things being held
constant) due to denser air I couldn't guess.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi Phil,
>
> At 08:28 PM 6/19/2005, you wrote:
> >In a message dated 6/19/05 6:26:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> >tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >BTW - Bill Lemieux says that commercial Tesla coils made in Boulder
(~5400
> >feet above sea level) perform remarkably BETTER at LOWER altitudes!!
There
> >was a problem that they would arc much further than expected when
delivered
> >to sea level customers...
> >
> >     Just throwing out a guess-
> >
> >     These commercial coils are disruptive coils?
>
> Yes.
>
> >Perhaps the spark gaps quench better in the denser air, offsetting
any
> >gain that the thinner air might have afforded the secondary streamers
> >themselves?
>
> Possibly!  They though that arcs just travel further in dense air.
But
> that seems to go against all the data...  I will ask Bill about it the
next
> time I see him...
>
> Perhaps a DRSSTC could be run off a small UPS (just little arcs).
Then it
> could travel 12,183 feet above sea :
>
>
http://away.com/tripideas/rocky-mountain-national-park-driving-tours-300
661.html
>
> Cheers,
>
>          Terry
>
>
> >     If so, good thing it's a lot easier to pressurize a spark gap
than to
> > de-pressurize an entire coil...
> >
> >-Phil LaBudde
>