Re: Flash Tubes

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Flash Tubes
• From: "Malcolm Watts" <MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz> (by way of Terry Fritz <twf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
• Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 19:08:30 -0700
• Approved: twf-at-verinet-dot-com

Hi Ed,

> Original Poster: Ed Phillips <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> 
> 
> Tesla List wrote:
> > 
> > Original Poster: "Malcolm Watts" <MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz>
> > 
> > > Original Poster: "JimmyD" <jim_del-at-email.msn-dot-com>
> > >
> > > I was toying with the idea of using flash tube (more like the standard
> photo
> > > strobes) to be used as a sealed spark gap for tesla use.  Is this
feasible
> > > or am I way off base??
> > 
> > Been there, tried it. No good. Average power throughput is far too
> > great for the tubes to handle. They are designed as one shot devices
> > and get hot very quickly in even a midget powered TC. They also have
> > an unfavourable resistance characteristic which causes bigger losses
> > than an open air spark gap.
> > 
> > Malcolm
> 
>         Do they work at all?
> 
> Ed

Yes, poorly. After a few shots, I didn't even contemplate repetitive 
running with any significant power because the tube got so hot. From
memory, I ran about 70mJ at around 30 - 40 PPS for a few seconds. I 
did spark output from the coil but it was tiddler stuff. However, 
this was a small tube. It might be on for a large tube (multi 100J) 
submerged in a cooling fluid although I don't know whether the 
temperature differential across the thickness of the glass envelope 
would cause it to rupture. Another drawback was the amount of light 
emitted.

Malcolm

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