Re: Output Voltage vs. Firing Rate (fwd)

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Output Voltage vs. Firing Rate (fwd)
From: Tesla List <mod1-at-pupman-dot-com>
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 20:56:12 -0600 (MDT)
Approved: mod1-at-pupman-dot-com


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 11:01:19 EDT
From: FutureT-at-aol-dot-com
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Output Voltage vs. Firing Rate (fwd)

In a message dated 98-08-07 04:59:00 EDT, you write:

<< 
> This magic break rate occurs at the point where the ion lifetimes
> can start to enhance the longevity of the arc, resulting in one 
> or two 'dominant' arcs instead of a brush discharge.
 
> The gap speed where the brushy streamers coalesce into 
>a single dominant channel also seems to depend upon the 
> physical size of the coil.  I had thought that the ion
> lifetimes were more or less independent of the coil action,
> but larger coils seem to exhibit noticably longer ion lifetimes.
 
> My old coil 'coalesces' at around 1500RPM, or 150BPS.  However
> the Electrum coil does so much earlier, around 110 to 120BPS.
 
> Perhaps this is due to a squared/cubed relationship in the 
> surrounding ion cloud, or in the arc itself, where doubling the
> scale increases the surface area by 4, but the volume by 8.
> This would slow the dissipation of both the ion cloud and arc.
 
> This is good news if true, for it would increase the upper limit
> on the maximum practical size of a Tesla Coil.
 -- 
 
> -GL >>

Greg,

I think there may be other factors involved such as the voltage and
the relative radius of curvature of the toroid (ROC), etc.  My TC stays 
coalesced at 60 BPS and loses coalescence somewhere between
30 and 60 BPS.  I would guess that if you used a different ROC
toroid, the coalescence would occur at a different break rate.  I think
if your main tank capacitor was of a different size, this too might
affect the coalescent break rate.  Larger ROC toroids, for a given
toroid voltage, or bang size, may enhance the coalescense process.
The smoothness or texture of the toroid surface may also affect the
coalescense...but this is pure speculation on my part.  

I don't have independent control of break rate and power, so I
may be getting some faulty impressions from my system, but I was
wondering if you looked into these toroid considerations?

I seem to remember that you once installed a larger corregated
ducting type toroid onto your coil as a test, did this change the
coalescent break rate any?  I don't remember if the ROC was
greater, or just the overall diameter?

Regards,
John Freau