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Re: TC Electrostatics (fwd)



Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Subscriber: lod-at-pacbell-dot-net Wed Jan  8 22:59:23 1997
> Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 20:44:32 -0800
> From: lod-at-pacbell-dot-net
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: TC Electrostatics (fwd)
> 
> > > Tesla List wrote:
> 
> > > What do you see as the optimum value for Zo (Zo = sqrt[L/C])?  I used to
> > > think that something around 20,000 ohms was optimum, but now I'm starting
> > > to think that values closer to 35,000 ohms might be better.
> > >
> > > -GL
> >
> > I really don't have a good feel for this one, since my experience has
> > only been with relatively high-Zo coils. Does the 35,000 ohm value come
> > from the empirical data you've gathered on other coils?
> >
> >  -- Bert --
> 
> The 35K value comes partly from digesting the data; Richard Hull's 'Nemesis',
> which was a strong performer, had a Zo of over 40,000 ohms.  Sadly, I didn't
> collect a lot of data -- I collected only 20 documented examples of operating
> coils, which I need to enter into a spreadsheet one of these days.
> 
> But the secondary current waveforms on my coil are an even stronger indication
> that I should perhaps raise my secondary impedance.  Even with a full head of
> streamers, the sec current still takes 10 to 15 cycles to ring down, showing
> that the Zo is far less than the working impedance of the ionized channels.
> 
> If the primary objective of a TC is that of an 'air incinerator', then it seems
> that only three quantities need to be optimized:
> 
> Power - more is always better.
> 
> Efficiency - less power lost in circuit components means more burning air.
> 
> Output Impedance - must be matched to the effective streamer impedance, in order
>                    to maximize the total power transfer to the air.
> 
> I maintain that any improvement made to a TC serves to optimize one or more
> of these three quantities.
> 
> -GL

Greg,

It's hard to dispute your logic! The "missing" piece was just how "low"
an air impedance a heavily streaming coil would actually see - the long
ring-down  on your lower Zo coil IS a good indicator of less than
optimal power transfer. Sounds like another design trade-off to add to
the slowly growing stack...

Excellent input for future designs!!

Safe coilin' to you, Greg!

-- Bert --