Small tesla coil (1sq ft) findings

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Small tesla coil (1sq ft) findings
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 00:23:17 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net


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From:  Malcolm Watts [SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
Sent:  Tuesday, June 23, 1998 12:32 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: Small tesla coil (1sq ft) findings

Hi Jeff,

> From:  Jeff Corr [SMTP:corr-at-enid-dot-com]
> Sent:  Monday, June 22, 1998 1:13 AM
> To:  Tesla List
> Subject:  Re: Small tesla coil (1sq ft) findings
> 
> Just for a small assumption...  how many watts is a battery capable of
> supplying...  say a 9 volt battery.  Perhaps 4 double "A" batteries...
> I'm just wondering on the ability to produce a coil from a few small
> batteries and a flyback transformer.  Anyone ever tried this?  A small
> handheld coil would be neat.

Depends on the type. Alkalines and lithium could obviously deliver 
for a short period where Zn-carbon would fail miserably. Again, it's 
a question of nominating time-integrated? consumption rather than a 
particular power source. For example, I was using my NST beyond its 
faceplate rating because charging was resonant. I could scope it 
sometime and find BPS because I know Ep was around 600 - 700mJ 
according to primary cap size and gap setting. That would give me a 
mean power input figure to the primary circuit (ignores transformer 
losses). If it was going at 100BPS, that gives a mean input power of 
70W.
     One could in theory generate sparks 50' long from a relatively 
small power source by single shotting huge cumulative amounts of 
energy into a huge coil but I'm rather looking at what appear to be 
continuous discharges to the eye.

Malcolm