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Re: Practical use of a tesla coil - lamp (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 09:16:12 -0800
From: Jim Lux <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: Practical use of a tesla coil - lamp (fwd)
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 22:36:15 -0800
> From: Bill Noble <william_b_noble-at-email.msn-dot-com>
> To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: Re: Practical use of a tesla coil - lamp
>
> I don't know if it's related, but I have a lamp here that I believe is
used
> for artificial lightning - it's 25 inches long (19 inches active),
discharge
> tube with heavy brass terminals at each end. I suppose it's a Xenon
flash
> tube of some kind - I haven't taken the time to see what it does.
> -----Original Message-----
If it is of the type in the "Lightning Strikes" they basically put the line
voltage across the tube, fire it with a hv pulse like any other flash lamp,
and when the line crosses zero, it extinguishes. They also have some
thyristors in there, I think, to control the brightness and timing. It
draws about 300 Amps when lit, but since the duty cycle is low, it doesn't
melt the supply wiring. They also make use of the NEC exemption for motion
picture production equipment that allows temporary lighting to run wiring
at 3 times the normal ampacity, since the use is supervised by "trained
professionals" such as yourself.
In the case of Lightning Strikes, the required power source is different
for mains power (which has a very high instantaneous current capacity) and
for a generator (which does not). The generator has to really put out the
required juice, the mains can have a nominal rating of a lot less.