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spark length vs toroid diameter
Subject: spark length vs toroid diameter
Date: Tue, 6 May 97 08:29:34 EDT
From: pierson-at-ggone.ENET.dec-dot-com
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mail11:;;;;-at-us4rmc.pko.dec-dot-com-at-us4rmc.pko.dec-dot-com-at-unknown.pupman-dot-com;;;
(-at-teslatech)
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pierson-at-ggone.ENET.dec-dot-com
From: Greg Leyh <lod-at-pacbell-dot-net>
>Given the large number of newbies on this list, I would like to re-visit
>anold issue from a 'theory of arc dynamics' standpoint -- Why do many
>coilers report that a larger toroid increases the striking distance of
>their coils,
Presumably, because it does. 8)>>
>given that increasing Coutput always decreases the output voltage?
Output voltage is set by a lot of things. Roughly,
concentrating on the influence of terminal daimeter, the larger
the terminal, the larger the voltage before it will spark over.
This is why van de Graff generators have large terminals.
Assuming the rest of a given coil setup can provide some
arbitrarily high voltage (eg: low enuf losses, high enuf
power), the spark over distance is set, largely, by the
terminal (toroid, sphere, whatever) diameter. A 'zero radius'
terminal (point) will spark out at a relatively low voltage.
If LOTS of power is available, there may be long sparks. A
larger toroid will 'allow' higher voltages before sparking over.
(Of course changing toroid size also changes tune, all the
way back thru the system, so simply dropping on a new toroid
to see the effect can be complicated to interpret...)
regards
dwp