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130kW Coil -- First Light


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From:  D.C. Cox [SMTP:DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net]
Sent:  Friday, January 30, 1998 12:38 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: 130kW Coil -- First Light

to: Greg

I noted on the weather channel that another storm is poised to strike your
area in the next few days with yet another larger one forming out in the
northern Pacific.  It sure doesn't look favorable but hope you get a few
days between the fronts to continue your research.  I also noted some nasty
stray electric fields with some of our larger coils -- it seems if too much
inductance is employed in the primary tuning the fields are stronger.  Hope
you don't get zapped and be sure your visitors don't lean against any spare
inductors while the beast is running!

Hope to make it out the week after next -- looks like a lot of El Nino
effect next week coming at you.

Next time around be sure to consider Tucson for a building site -- no rain
for the past 4 weeks here!

DR.RESONANCE-at-next-wave-dot-net


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> From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: 'Tesla List' <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Subject: 130kW Coil -- First Light
> Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998 10:19 PM
> 
> 
> ----------
> From:  Greg Leyh [SMTP:lod-at-pacbell-dot-net]
> Sent:  Thursday, January 29, 1998 9:19 AM
> To:  Tesla List
> Subject:  130kW Coil -- First Light
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> After what has seemed like an eternity of preparation,
> testing and adjustments, I connected the main xfmr set 
> in the delta-delta config (1/3 normal power) and threw 
> the switch early Wed morning, around 03:00.
> 
> The output streamers, which extended outwards about 
> 2 to 3 electrode diameters (14 to 21ft), seemed much
> bushier than did my last coil, and exhibited a lot of
> simoultaneous branching from the main stem, much closer
> to the discharge electrode.  Some of this arc appearance
> might have been due to my perspective however, as I was 
> standing at the vault door, directly under the top sphere.
> 
> Unfortunately I was not equipped to photograph the test;
> In fact, I hadn't even planned to run the coil that evening.
> It's just that things were going so well that night, and
> the skies were perfectly clear, an unusual sight since our 
> rainfall has been almost double the norm so far this year.
> 
> 
> Several problems were discovered during this unscheduled
> trial run:
> 
> Power Consumption - the mains power draw was about 
> 2.5 times what it should have been for this configuration.
> Current waveforms for the charging reactor were not
> available since the #-at-*! battery-powered Fluke Scopemeter 
> kept turning itself off whenever the coil was energized!
> The excess power probably ended up in either the streamers 
> or the rotary gap(more likely), as no excessive heat or 
> flame were observed coming from any other components.
> 
> Shocks to Operator - I would get mild shocks from the
> control panel during operation, so using a distant ground
> as a reference, I checked the potentials on the panel
> case, and on my person.  
> Result: panel - 10VAC RF, me - 400VAC RF!
> I was shocking the panel, as it turns out.  Hopefully,
> the electric fields will be friendlier when panel and
> operator are 60ft distant.  Otherwise some vertical
> screening may be necessary at the control panel.
> 
> These problems will have to be addressed before the
> main xfmrs can be configured for delta-star (hi-gear).
> Once the machine appears to ready for high-power 
> testing I'll let the List know, for the benefit of
> any 'potential' visitors.
> 
> 
> -GL
>