Safety gaps destroyed my Neon ?

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Safety gaps destroyed my Neon ?
• From: "Vivian Watts" <V.C.Watts-at-btinternet-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 06:54:10 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Hi All,
    It has occurred to me that my safety gaps may have destroyed my Neon
because they DID fire.  I had two 5KV Neons in anti-phase with a common
ground (I couldn't remove the ground).  I had two safety gaps, one from each
HV leg to ground.  Also a further safety gap across my rotary - which did
not fire.  My thoughts are, that say at a peak the Neons where producing +/-
5KV i.e. 10KV to the tank circuit.  With a bit of rise the voltage became
say 15KV thats 7.5KV with respect to ground.  Now if ONE of the safety gaps
fires to ground thus shorting one Neon, the tank capacitor at 15KV presents
its full voltage across the second Neon (until that safety gap fires) and so
may have destroyed it.  The solution I think, should have been, not to have
centre grounded safety gaps with a centre grounded Neon set-up.

Thoughts anyone.

regards

Viv Watts (UK)

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