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Arc Dynamics (was 1/4 Wave Theories - Trash Them!)


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From:  Greg Leyh [SMTP:lod-at-pacbell-dot-net]
Sent:  Thursday, June 04, 1998 6:39 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Arc Dynamics (was 1/4 Wave Theories - Trash Them!)

Terry Fritz wrote:

>         Here is something interesting to consider.  In a coil without a top
> terminal most of the capacitive charge is stored from the windings to
> ground.  In order for an arc to discharge, the current must pass through the
> inductance of the top windings to discharge the capacitance.  This may add a
> very significant reactance to the discharge path.  If a top terminal is
> present, the discharge can occur with extremely small series inductance.
> 
> An interesting idea that may have many implications.......


Indeed!  I for one would like to get this old thread going again!
Here is where I think we last left this interesting(IMHO) discussion,
although I have been gone awhile:

_________________________________________
Subject: 130 kW Coil Waveforms
   Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 00:20:22 +0000
   From: Greg Leyh <lod-at-pacbell-dot-net>
     To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>

Hi All,

I have posted six JPEGs of current waveforms, including 
msmts at the base of the secondary, as well as currents
to and from the sphere, *measured from within the electrode.*
These can be viewed on:
http://www.lod-dot-org/electrum/electrumspecs.html


A few comments on these waveforms:

  Secondary base current, at 160BPS -
This shows the Isec gnd return current.  The quenching
is not optimal, due in part to the slow gap rotor speed.

[snip]

  Coil-to-sphere and sphere-to-arc currents, 2uS/div -
Here is evidence of the pulsating, dart-leader like nature
of the arc as it advances, similiar in fashion to the dart
leaders observed in natural lightning.  
These pulsations have time structures on the order of 400nS, 
with peak dart leader currents often in excess of 20A, as opposed 
to 20uS periods for big cloud strikes, with peak dart leader 
currents of several hundred amperes.  
This may explain in part as to why a larger toroid may 
help arc length, especially if it provides a lo-Z reservoir 
for these fast current pulses.

Comments welcomed.

-GL