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Re: [TCML] 4'-5' tesla coil sparks?



On 2/9/11 9:16 AM, jhowson4@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hello everyone,

I am constructing a Tesla coil for The Rochester museum and Science Center.

The goal is to have the coil mounted on the ceiling inside a Faraday cage with all the electronics mounted above the coils inside the ceiling.
Weight is supposedly not an issue.

I was wondering if anyone had a time tested design that would produce a ~4'-5' arc. Hopefully with a power supply consisting of a couple 15/60's or something comparable. Durability is more of a concern than price.


Sounds like a fun project. You're looking at using a big MMC or a commercial cap from Maxwell, probably a rotary gap, and a small pole transformer or potential transformer. That 2-3 kVA range is on the ragged edge of being a good candidate for a static gap, I think. A static gap works fine as a "fire it up in the driveway and tinker with it" but it requires too much periodic fiddling for a permanent installation.

If cost is no object, then, there are companies that actually do this for a business (Resonance Research, kVA Effects) and you could probably be involved in the process of selection, procurement, and installation.


Now I'm going to rain on your parade a bit...


Are you an employee of the museum? i.e. if something goes horribly wrong, who gets sued? If you're an employee, the museum does. If you're a volunteer, it's a bit more uncertain. If you're a vendor, then it's YOU. I can say, from personal experience, that getting liability insurance for a one-off tesla coil design/installation is prohibitively expensive.

Upside down is no problem, but you'd want to check on mechanical supports. Do they have someone to do the mechanical design, or are you doing it? What about safety cables if something comes loose? Or, maybe, the Faraday cage will provide sufficient backup containment. Do you have someone to review and cross check your design and construction?

What about electrical and building codes? They may have neglected to mention that aspect, but if you need to be "code-compliant" you need to figure out which codes, etc. Maybe you're technically "temporary theatrical equipment" or something like that? What sort of rigging experience do you (or someone who can work with you) have?
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