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Re: A Puzzle


From: 	George W. Ensley[SMTP:erc-at-coastalnet-dot-com]
Sent: 	Tuesday, September 02, 1997 9:36 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: A Puzzle

At 06:45 PM 9/2/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
>From: 	Malcolm Watts[SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
>Sent: 	Tuesday, September 02, 1997 6:03 PM
>To: 	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: 	A Puzzle
>
>Greetings All,
>               This is a genuine enquiry (no, I don't know all the 
>answers regrettably). Last night, I replaced the large resonator in
>my work system with a much smaller one with the same sphere on top.
>I am using the same primary but k would be somewhat different.
>
>      The large resonator is a 10" x 44" space wound job (Ctot about 
>26pF). The small resonator is 4" x 17" and with the same topload 
>resonates at exactly the same frequency as the large one. This coil 
>has around 1800 turns of wire one it and consequently its inductance 
>is much higher (which it would have to be to resonate at 146kHz as 
>its Ctot is much less than the larger coil). OK, I know the wire 
>losses are a lot higher in the small one so on to the next bit of 
>information.
>
>     Under single shot conditions, the spark length is pretty much 
>the same as the large resonator so that implies that output voltage 
>is pretty much the same. Now that is reasonable because of higher 
>losses and possibly reduced k probably compensated for by reduced 
>total capacitance.
>
>    The cruncher: The large resonator has created those rare long 
>sparks measured well over 4 feet p-p. The little one is struggling to 
>get to two feet p-p. This is with exactly the same primary coil and 
>cap, energy and gap setting. This situation echoes someone recently 
>switching from a 3" (?) coil to a 6" one. The air discharges from the 
>terminal are a bit shorter with the small one suggesting the reduced 
>capacitance might be a factor. I have not as yet taken any real 
>measurements but will sometime today.
>
>    The question: why?  Any input sought, Ideas welcome from all. 
>I'd like to hear from anyone, no matter how trivial you think your 
>contribution might be.
>
>Regards All,
>Malcolm
>
>
>
Malcolm,

If this coil was a battering ram i would say it wasn't heavy enough.
The inertia is either not there or being absorbed by something. I would
guess a little of both. 

You can't drive an iron spike with a rubber mallet because the peak
energy is just not there, but all the energy is delivered just the same.

I know this is pretty off the wall but i can just see the smaller coil
crumpling up like a tin can when it slams into the top load.

George.......