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Re: New Testing
From: Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com[SMTP:Esondrmn-at-aol-dot-com]
Sent: Monday, September 15, 1997 12:36 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: New Testing
In a message dated 97-09-13 09:03:10 EDT, you write:
<< Ed,
If the rotary is firing only erratically, this isn't a symptom of
improper primary tuning. If the protection gap across the cap is firing
at a 1" setting, you have a significant problem with gap firing. Until
you identify the problem, you may want to reduce your safety gap setting
a bit, since breakdown of a 1" gap represents considerably more than 25
KV AC. The combination of the rotary and the static gaps is apparently
resulting on too high an effective breakdown voltage. In effect, you're
"missing" more presentations than "hitting". Because of the high speed
air-flow around the rotary electrodes, a rotary gap's breakdown voltage
will be significantly higher than for an equivalent static gap.
Now that you've tightenned up the gap spacing on your rotary, also try
temporarily removing the series gaps and run only off the rotary, and
try running at a mechanical breakrate of at least 360 - 480 BPS so that
you get at least 3 - 4 presentations per half cycle. By reducing the gap
spacing, you should arrive at a point where your system runs smoothly
without the safety gaps firing. You can then gradually increase the
setting via the series gaps until you're just below the point where
erratic firing (or safety gap firing) begins. Depending on ballast
settings (particularly with no damping resistors across your welder) you
can get really horrendous transient conditions (4 - 6X the incoming 14.4
KV) which won't take out your pig, but can take out your cap.
See if this helps at all, and the best of luck to you Ed!
- Bert H. --
>>
Bert,
I now have the static gaps out of the circuit. Thanks for the tip, I will
reduce the safety gap across the cap to maybe .50 to .75". All I need now is
some decent weather.
Ed Sonderman