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Re: Weird ideas
From: John H. Couture[SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
Sent: Saturday, December 06, 1997 6:53 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Weird ideas
At 01:04 AM 12/5/97 +0000, you wrote:
>
>From: Mark S Graalman[SMTP:wb8jkr-at-juno-dot-com]
>Sent: Thursday, December 04, 1997 10:35 AM
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: Weird ideas
>
> Actually, IMHO there *really* is no such thing as
>efficiency in a machine that draws power yet does
>no actual work or provides no tangible benefits.
> It really is work/fun input, fun output.
>
>
>Mark Graalman
---------------------------------------------------------
Mark -
Power is the CAPACITY to do work. Power multiplied by time is energy that
does do work. A machine has power but does no work until it consumes (draws)
fuel (energy) form a source which requires time.
A machine or Tesla coil cannot be operated without consuming energy from a
source. This energy might be used only for losses, in which case there would
be no useful work done, or it may be used for both losses and work output
(sparks). The efficiency of the machine or Tesla coil would be energy output
divided by energy input. The energy output would include the losses plus
useful work.
The problem with Tesla coils is that the energy in sparks is hard if not
impossible to estimate. Because energy involves time a continuous spark must
be used. I have not heard of a proper method to determine the energy of a
single rare extra long spark from Tesla coils.
John Couture.