Re: [TCML] frailty of NSTs

["Vinnie" <teslatech@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello

I have some questions about NST failures. I haven't had one yet but was 
wondering what characterists they
have when they do fail. Do they just suddenly stop working or do they become 
intermittent? Is there a way
to determine NST health after years of operation in a tesla coil?

Thanks for your time.

Vinnie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "tesla" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 12:22 PM
Subject: Re: [TCML] frailty of NSTs


> .
> > What is it about NSTs that makes them so fragile?  I suspect it is the 
> > current through a secondary wound with
> > inadequate wire size.
> Hi
>
> These beasts are frail for two main reasons
>
> 1) In normal operation the HV is "shorted" by the gas discharge tube when 
> it strikes so that the terminal  voltage is at HV for a few fractions of a 
> second. The internal insulation is thus not designed to cope with extended 
> periods of HV
>
> 2) They are made with a magnetic shunt which produces large series O/P 
> inductance to limit the current. In Tesla service this inductance can 
> resonate with the Tesla primary cap and this series resonant cct exhibits 
> resonanat rise. This could produce hundreds of kv but naturally the 
> insulation fails prior to that
>
> 3) RF from the Tesla may contribute to the failure of the insulation due 
> dielectiric heating I suspect
>
> Best
> Ted L in NZ
> _______________________________________________
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> Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla 

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