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40MHz Spark Gap Behavior


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From:  John H. Couture [SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
Sent:  Monday, April 20, 1998 1:20 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: 40MHz Spark Gap Behavior


  Mike-

  You are on the right tract. The differences between power and energy
confuses many people. Energy is a QUANTITY of electricity and power is the
RATE of using the energy or joules per second.

  Power is in watts or joules devided by time
       1000 watts = 10 joules / .01 seconds

   Energy is in joules or watts times time
        10 joules = 1000 watts times .01 seconds

  Confusion over power and energy is what creates over unity energy.

  Also, confusion over the average input energy (input meters) versus the
instantaneous output energy (spark length) is what creates an incorrect
rating of a Tesla coil. 

  Tesla wanted to use the ionosphere instead of wires to transmit electrical
energy around the world. This requires ultra high voltages and microamps of
current (the natural lightning system). With microamps of current and a vast
volume of conductor (ionosphere) the line losses would be negligible. Tesla
apparenly never solved the problem of getting from the earth's surface to
the ionosphere although he said he had the answer (his incorrectly called
death rays???).

    John Couture

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At 10:25 PM 4/17/98 -0500, you wrote:
>
>----------
>From:  Hollmike [SMTP:Hollmike-at-aol-dot-com]
>Sent:  Thursday, April 16, 1998 11:34 PM
>To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject:  Re: 40MHz Spark Gap Behavior
>
>Jeff,
>   Another way to think of energy and power is simply thinking of the SI
>units.  Power is joules per second.  Energy is joules, or joules per
>second(power) multiplied by the time that the power is applied. If one
>shortens the time that the energy is expended, the power must rise to achieve
>this.
>   A Tesla coil does just this.  The primary cap collects and stores energy
>over a period of a few milliseconds and then releases it in a few
>microseconds.  The average power does not increase(in fact it goes down due to
>losses), but the instantaneous power is "magnified" by a tremendous amount.  
>   The main reason Tesla developed this was that he believed this to be the
>most efficient means by which to transmit power to great distances.  He
>believed this was a more efficient means to deliver electrical power than over
>wires.   I personally would love to see the countryside without the big ugly
>powerlines to spoil the view.
>Is that about my two cents worth?
>Mike Hollingsworth
>
>