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Quench, Coherence etc.


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From:  Robert W. Stephens [SMTP:rwstephens-at-headwaters-dot-com]
Sent:  Friday, August 14, 1998 3:00 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: Quench, Coherence etc.


> From:  John H. Couture [SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
> Sent:  Thursday, August 13, 1998 10:08 AM
> To:  Tesla List
> Subject:  Re: Quench, Coherence etc.


John Couture wrote:

>All,
<snippage> 
>   In order to obtain useful results from tests of electrical devices it is
> necessary to operate the device with controlled conditions such as with a
> constant output.

Agreed in general...but only on devices that can operate properly 
under steady state conditions, like a resistor, or a light bulb, or 
an unloaded electric motor.

> This means that with Tesla coils the output spark must be
> a controlled spark giving a constant load to the Tesla coil.

John, the nature of the output of a properly operating Tesla coil IS 
CHAOS.  If you attempt to tame it into a constant load which air 
being perforated with lightning bolts is not, then you are NOT going 
to determine the best parameters for a coil.  Those in the hobby that 
I know are building coils for the longest lightning bolts, mostly 
into air with attachments at random to objects in the vicinity of the 
coil.  That Sir is the very application of a Tesla coil, not the 
stabilized heating of a reference load in some laboratory!  If you 
think of a Tesla coil as a 2 port black box with a constant input and 
a chaotic output, then if you somehow clamp the output to be stable, 
you're input will turn to chaos.  How is that going to help your 
power measurement?  Please don't bother answering.

>The test
> results will then be more uniform and more subject to correct analysis. 
> 
>   For example, when a spark occurs on the second transfer instead of the
> first and both have the same amplitude there can only be one answer. The
> transfers and sparks are not being properly paired in the tests. The idea
> that the first transfer ionizes the air and the second transfer creates an
> extra long spark is not possible. I suggested this in past posts but
> several coilers said this was not possible. I now believe they were correct
> because if the first transfer ionizes the air there would always be enough
> energy left to create a spark.
> 
>   The quench and coherence tests with continuous operating TC's should be
> made only with constant outputs and that means with controlled sparks.


John Couture also said:

> Single break tests are of less value.
> 
>   John Couture


John,

I have to strongly dispute your statement here!  Not only are single 
shot tests of tremendous value in that the amount of input power to 
the TC by way of them can be precicely determined, they yield an 
output spark length which is repeatable under identical conditions 
anywhere in the known universe.  As such it is a very credible way of 
comparing all disruptive Tesla coils that are able to produce sparks.
Of course I've said this to you before.

Robert W. Stephens
Director
Lindsay Scientific Co.
RR1 Shelburne, ON Canada L0N-1S5
Tel or AutoFax: 1-519-925-1771    
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