Re: More Tuning/Debugging

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: More Tuning/Debugging
From: Bert Hickman <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-com>
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 1996 06:44:21 -0700

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From julian-at-kbss.bt.co.ukTue Sep 10 22:14:19 1996
> Date: Tue, 10 Sep 96 13:54:00 BST
> From: Julian Green <julian-at-kbss.bt.co.uk>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: More Tuning/Debugging
> 
> ...snip
> 
> >The ideal solution for me would be to place two pigs on line:
> >LV windings in parallel, HV windings in series. This way I could
> >get the voltage without the losses.
> >
> >Richard Quick
> >
> >
> >... If all else fails... Throw another megavolt across it!
> 
> Thats exactly what I plan to do.  I have two 11Kv to 240V power transformers,
> but no coil to connect 22KV to.  I am worried about blowing my cap which
> has 40/1000" LPDE between the plates.  Sorry my micrometer only reads inches.
> 
> What would be the break down voltage?
> 
> Julian Green

Julian,

You MIGHT be able to squeak by with a matched pair in series (80 mils).
However, the caps would need to be constructed out of many multiple
layers of thinner LDPE, and you'd need to use a vacuum pump to remove
any air between plates. If you construct the caps with the plates
vertical you could slowly "break them in" by slowly increasing the
voltage in Tesla coil service. As Richard Quick has told us, air is
death to LDPE caps! 120+ mils would be a much better thickness if you're
planning to actually run up to 22 KV.

-- Bert --