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Re: Alignment of Caps




From: 	Alfred A. Skrocki[SMTP:alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com]
Sent: 	Monday, June 30, 1997 3:24 AM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: Alignment of Caps

Friday, June 27, 1997 2:53 AM Richard
[SMTP:esmit-at-ilink.nis.za] wrote;

> Hi,
> 
> I only have two questions today that is bugging me.
> 
> 1. When you want the right voltage for a capacitor you put them in serie and
> when you want the right capacitance you put them in paralelle. Which of
> these to figures is right.
> 
> Fig.1 
> 
>                  ||
>            |-----||-------| Total .005 uF
>            |     ||       |
>      ------|              |---------- TOTAL OUTPUT .0053 uF
>            | ||  || || || |  
>            |-||--||-||-||-| Total .0003 uf
>              ||  || || || 
>                          
>                         
> 
> Fig.2 |              
>              ||  || || ||   Total .0053 uF
>            |-||--||-||-||-|
>            | ||  || || || |
>            |              |
>   ---------|              |-------------- TOTAL OUTPUT .01 uF
>            | ||  || || || |  
>            |-||--||-||-||-| Total .0053 uF
>              ||  || || || 

Figure 1 is correct and figure 2 is wrong! For capacitors in parallel
the voltage rating remains the same and you simply add up the values. 
So in figure 2 you would have;

  .0053 + .0053 = .0106

Also remember that when you put capacitors in series the voltage 
tolerance increases by simply adding it up but the total capacitance 
is the reciprical of the sum of the recipricals of the values. ie.;

  Total C = 1 / ( 1/first + 1/second + 1/third + ... 1/nth)

So if say you had three 4KV .005 uF capacitors and put them all is 
series you would increase the voltage tolerance to 12KV ! BUT 
decrease the total capacitance;

 Total C = 1/(1/.005 + 1/.005 + 1/.005)

 then C = 1/(200 + 200 + 200) = 1/600 = .0017 uF

> 2. I have read about a Tesla coils spark that should bet thick, but my Tesla
> coil is giving thin purple arcs, Is it right if it does so or is it wrong?

The character of the arcs a Tesla coil produces are effected by 
several factors; frequency, voltage and current being of major 
influence . Typicaly the higher the frequency the more the arcs tend 
to branch and amble around. The greater the voltage the longer the 
spark and the more current the thicker the spark. So yours giving 
thin sparks is only an indication that is is not putting out a lot of 
current, if you want thicker sparks you are going to have to either 
us a larger capacitance and adjust the primary accordingly or if your
capacitor is to large for your transformer then get a higher current 
rating transformer or put several in parallel ( making sure that they 
are of the same vltage rating and properly phased of course).

                               Sincerely

                                \\\|///
                              \\  ~ ~  //
                               (  -at- -at-  )
                        -----o00o-(_)-o00o-----
                           Alfred A. Skrocki
                   alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com
                             .ooo0   0ooo.
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