[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: Two-step Tesla coil???
>>Why are single-step coils used? (I mean, besides the neon transformer). For
>>example: Suppose you start in making your T. coil with a 10Kv Neon
>>transformer. You then make a spark gap, etc. and a coil with a 20:2000
>> (100 X) ratio. Why not, say, make a 20:200 (10 X) coil and then take the
>>secondary voltage off of that to another 20:200 (10 X) coil? You would use
>>far less wire, and still end up with that total of 100 X from your 10Kv
>>transformer. Is this just a stupid idea, or does it have some practical
value?
>>Thanks
>>
>
>Yes, adding a second coil will work in theory. But I've believe that
>the major problem with this is the volts per turn. If you get
>too many volts per turn of wire, your wire is going to arc between the turns,
>thus shorting out your coil!
HMM...... I don't want anyone to think a Tesla coil works on the turns ratio
principal that a normal transformer works on. It doesn't.
A Tesla coil works on the principal of circuit resonance and RF generation
caused by this ( I risk oversimplification here, but I want to keep it short).
A primary tank circuit has a certain amount of capacitance and inductance. This
has a natural resonant frequency, in the RF band. The circuit is excited by a
spark gap and High Voltage pulsing, many times per second. This causes the the
primary to "ring" at its resonant frequency at high energy. A field is
generated which excites the secondary, which happens to resonate at the same
frequency as the primary. The secondary then produces a very high potential in
the RF band. And, viola! Big sparks.
This is a gross over simplification, so don't flame me too bad guys. I just
wanted to point out that a Tesla coil is not a turns ratio transformer. When I
read the message above, I thought a new subscriber reading it might be mislead.
So basically, all the talk about a 100X ratio and using more or less wire is
"out the window".
Scott Myers