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: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 21:51:13 -0700
• Approved: twf-at-verinet-dot-com

Hi Mike,

> Original Poster: Mike Nolley <mnolley-at-mail.slc.edu> 
> 
> At 02:21 PM 3/27/1999 -0700, you wrote: 
> >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?? 
>         
>         I'm sure there will be several replies to this, but no, it would not
be
> feasible-- since the flash tubes are evacuated.  As you would know if you
> studied plasma spheres and flourescent bulbs, low pressure environments
conduct
> more readily than higher pressure ones.  As a result, a low-pressure gap
would
> simply arc instead of disruptively discharging, since the cap wouldn't have
> time to build up a charge before the gap started to conduct.  

Actually it does work. The catches are the power rating of the tube (a 
few measly watts in most cases) and the high losses. An air gap 
operates in arc mode too. Don't forget that the pri-sec transfer of 
the coil allows the primary to be silent when a transfer is completed 
and the arc does go out. 

Malcolm

>         If you went in the other direction, and managed to create a feasibly
> contained high pressure gap, using air, hydrogen or some other insulating
> gas-- 
> it would be a different story altogether.  However, since this creates
certain
> design problems for the hobbyist, the high pressure gap is almost never used
in
> Tesla coil work. 
>         Hope I could be of some help. 
>                 --Mike 
> 
> 

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