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Sphere & Toroid Experements

I decided to test several toroids and spheres on my TC to see which one
works the best. The only think that changes in these tests are the top
loads. No top load bump was used to try and get one long power arc.  I am
going for effects here, as many sparks as I can get at one time.  Long
branching hot sparks. All sparks were measured to a target.

Test #1....Dryer duct 4", 16" outside diameter mounted 1/2" above the last
turn of the secondary coil.  Streamers are around the sides only.  No
streamers on top. Spark length 21.5".   Appears to be 5 or 6 very hot blue
splitting streamers all the time.

Test #2....Two Stainless steel bowls 11" diameter 5" thick mounted 1/2"
above the last turn of the secondary coil.  Both bowls have a ring round the
edge. Streamers are around the sides only.  No streamers on top. Spark
length 23".  Appears to be 4 or 5 very hot blue splitting streamers all the
time.  These spreamers seem to be a little hotter than test #1.

Test #3....1 Stainless steel bowls 11" diameter 2.5" thick with the open end
up mounted 1/2" above the last turn of the secondary coil. Streamers are
around the edges of the bowl coming out and up at a 45 degree angle outward.
Spark length 23".  The sparks go up and out in a funnel shape. 4 or 5 very
hot blue splitting streamers all the time.  

Test #4....1 Stainless steel bowls 11" diameter 2.5" thick with the open end
down. Streamers are around the edges of the bowl coming off the bottom at a
45 degree angle out mounted 1/2" above the last turn of the secondary coil.
Spark length 23".  Appears to be 4 or 5 splitting streamers all the time.  

Test #5....Copper tubing ring 12" outside diameter made from 5/8" copper
tubing. There are 4 copper tubing spokes 3/8" diameter each in the center.
It is mounted 1/2" above the last turn of the secondary coil.  Streamers are
out the side only. No streamers on the top or radiating up or down from the
sides.  Streamers appear to be low power purple color 20" long.  Appears to
be about 10 splitting streamers all the time.

Test #6....This is an 8" rubber ball covered with aluminum foil.  Mounted
1/2" above the last turn of the secondary coil.  Streamers are coming out
the sides and top and every place in between.  Streamers jump from place to
place very fast on the bumpy aluminum foil surface. There are 4 or 5
streamers all the time.  Spark are white hot 23" long.

Test #7....This is an 12" rubber basket ball covered with aluminum foil.
Mounted 1/2" above the last turn of the secondary coil.  Streamers are
coming out the sides and top and every place in between.  Streamers jump
from place to place very fast on the bumpy aluminum foil surface. There are
3 or 4 streamers all the time.  Spark are white hot 22.5" long.

Test #8....This is a 6" copper sphere.  Mounted 1/2" above the last turn of
the secondary coil.  Streamers are coming out the sides and top and every
place in between. Streamers flow smoothly over the surface of the sphere and
appear to be floating over the surface of the copper sphere and through the
air.  There are 5 or 6 white hot splitting streamers all the time. The
streamers appear to be white hot all the way to the tip ends.  The streamers
have more branching than earlier tests with other toroids and sphere shapes.
Spark length is 24" long.

Test #9....This is a 6" copper sphere, the same sphere I used before.
Mounted 3" above the last turn of the secondary coil.  Streams flow smoothly
over the surface of the sphere and appear to be floating over the surface as
it did in test #8. There are 5 or 6 purple color streamers all the time.
There is a lot of blue corona around the top of the secondary coil.  Corona
radiates out about 5" from the top of the coil.  There are 100's of tiny
niddle type sparks coming from the top turn of the secondary coil and
sometimes a streamers about 8" to 16" long. Sparks are purple and 19.5" long.

Test #10....This is a 6" copper sphere, the same sphere I used before.
Mounted 1.5" above the last turn of the secondary coil.  Streams flow
smoothly over the surface of the sphere and appear to be floating over the
surface as it did in test #8 and #9. There are 5 or 6 blue color streamers
all the time.  There is a lot of blue corona around the top of the secondary
coil.  Corona radiates out about 3" from the top of the coil.  There are
100's of tiny niddle type sparks coming from the top turn of the secondary
coil and sometimes a streamers about 8" to 12" long. Sparks are blue and
20.5" long.

Test #11....This copper sphere is 4" diameter.  Mounted 1/2" above the last
turn of the secondary coil.  Streamers flow smoothly over the surface of the
sphere and appear to be floating over the surface. There are 4 or 5 white
hot streamers all the time.  There is a lot of blue corona around the top of
the secondary coil.  Corona radiates out about 4" from the top of the coil.
There are 100's of tiny niddle type sparks coming from the top turn of the
secondary coil and several streamers about 12" to 16" long. Sparks are white
hot 22" long.

Test #12....This is a 2.25" brass door knob.  Mounted 1/2" above the last
turn of the secondary coil.  Most of the streamers are coming from the top
turn of the secondary coil.  There are a few tiny short sparks coming from
the brass door knob. Splitting streamers are very blue hot color.  Seems to
be 6 or 7 streamers all the time coming from the last turn of the secondary
coil. Spark length is 21".

Looks like toroids make sparks from the sides only, I guess I haven't
discovered anything new.  The spheres make sparks from the sides and top and
every place in between.  Corona is at a minimum with the top load very close
to the last turn of the secondary coil.  Raising the top load above the
secondary coil increases corona and reduces the length of the discharge
sparks. Discharge spark length is about the same with a toroid or sphere.
Personally I like the sphere.  I think test #8 is the best but #6 is making
some very nice sparks too. 

A large smooth top load surface radius will build up a higher charge than
smaller radius before it discharges.  There is probably a name for a top
load to resist discharging but I don't know what its called.  The more the
top load resists discharging the more power it builds up and the discharge
sparks are longer and more powerful.  

I know, I know, someone will ask what type of TC the test was done on.  The
TC is 15K 50ma unpotted neon in HV oil. Spark gap is 6 gaps totaling .200
inches.  Chokes are ferite donuts with 30 turns of #14 insulated house wire.
Capacitor is .005 uf rolled polyethylene and aluminum flashing vacuum packed
in HV oil. Primary is flat wound 1/4" copper, 1/4" spacing, 15 turns, 8.5"
inside diameter. Secondary is 4" PVC pipe measuring 4.5" on the outside
diameter, 960 turns of #24 wire, 20.5" tall.  

Gary Weaver