Re: Spark Gap Replacements

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Spark Gap Replacements
From: FutureT-at-aol-dot-com
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 17:46:38 -0500 (EST)
Subscriber: FutureT-at-aol-dot-com Wed Jan 8 22:52:13 1997
 <SNIP>
> > >> > Bert, did you try "degrading" your quench to the 3rd notch ....
 > > >snip
 > > >Yes, and beyond. By switching off the air-flow and vacuum to the gaps,
I
 > >>can "saturate" them as I increase input power - thereby causing them to
 > > >quench at later transfer cycles. Secondary streamer length climbs with
 > >>increasing power, peaks out, and then begins significantly shrinking to
 >>> perhaps no more than half the maximum length.
> > 
>> Increasing power?  Do you mean variac input power?
>.>snip

> (yes, more variac) power seemed to worsen the output. Half length (or less)
streamers occurred as I started hitting 4 or transfers.
 > snip

Bert, as you know, your high powered fast-quench work is of great interest to
me since my work was done at low power;   I was wondering how quickly your
secondary rang down, after the gap quenched, for instance how many
microseconds until amplitude dropped to 50% of the initial (after quench)
free ringdown (I'll need to know your operating frequency again too)?  And
did the free-ringdown have a steeply-swooping-down non-linear look to it?
 The reason I ask, is that in my work, at lowest power, free-ringdown was
linear and gradual, (high Q damped wave), but as I turned up the variac power
just slightly, the free-ringdown petered out much more quickly due to a lower
Q resulting from greater spark loading.  (of course we expect all this).  But
at your power levels, I would expect the free-ringdown energy to drop
extremely quickly, due to heavy loading and even lower operating Q's.
 
When your spark dropped to 1/2 the length at the 4th  notch or transfer
point, did you try retuning to see if this might "recover" some of the lost
spark length?

>Full input power runs about 3000-3200 Watts (26-27 Amps at 120 VAC,
 >power factor corrected).
 
  >snip
 >> >> > John  Freau
 >> > Safe coiling to you as well, John!
 >> >-- Bert --
>>John Freau
 
 >True first-notch quenching should certainly be achievable with a
> properly designed rotary gap, and even with an air-blast gap. 

I tend to agree--it will be interesting to see just which designs lead to
this elusive goal.   Thanks again for all the information. 

> Safe coilin' to you, John!
 
 >-- Bert --
  >>
Safe and effective coiling!

John  Freau