RE: [TCML] Controlling Speed of an AC (Muffin) Fan

["Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>]

No.  The thing about a sucker gap is that the arc is concentrated in a small ring, and it was easy to plumb and focus the airflow from the vac motor directly through that channel.  An RQ gap is typically inside a cylinder, and it would be difficult to focus that airflow where it is needed.  Plus, I believe that one of the advantages of the sucker gap is the fact that there's only a single spark gap with abundant airflow - things not true about an RQ gap.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Brandon Hendershot
> Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2010 9:12 PM
> To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Controlling Speed of an AC (Muffin) Fan
> 
> Hey Gary,
> I took a look at your sucker gap. Very nice! Do you think it would be
> effective at all with my 4" RQ gap on top of a vacuum motor like
> yours? I think it might be too wide to do anything...
> Thanks,
> Brandon
> 
> On Feb 27, 2010, at 6:41 PM, "Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > AC induction motors like what's in the fan you cite really are not
> > really supposed to be speed-controlled.  It may work to some degree,
> > but I doubt it will work well.  But for the purpose of blowing on an
> > RQ gap, I don't think one needs to control the speed.  I don't think
> > there's a critical sweet spot in air flow; anything above some
> > reasonable flow rate is all you need and it won't improve things to
> > have more.  Just apply full power to it.
> >
> > I mentioned using a lamp dimmer with my sucker gap.  The vacuum
> > cleaner motor used in this gap is called a "universal" AC/DC motor,
> > not an induction motor, and its speed is easily controlled with a
> > dimmer.  And, that gap needs only a fraction of the full-speed
> > airflow that motor is capable of, and full-speed operation is VERY
> > noisy, and I just don't want that noise and that much power being
> > used.
> >
> > Regards, Gary Lau
> > MA, USA

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