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Re: Nathan's Saga Update...
Hi Nathan,
At 12:52 PM 01/09/2000 -0800, you wrote:
>
>
>Terry, all,
>
>I don't have any variacs running the coil.
>
>On the note of the wierd corona coming off the wires that aren't connected
>to anything, I had some similar strange problems before.
>
>When I first added a grounded strike rail around the primary, I used the
>same quarter inch refrigeration tubing to build it as the primary is
>constructed of. I made posts of the tubing and used a ton of hot glue to
>attach them to the vertical legs of the triangles supporting the primary.
That strike rail, does it have a gap in it so it does not act like a
shorted primary turn?? If it is a full loop of wire, large currents in it
will flow in the loop and suck large amount of power from the system. That
would make you sparks really short...
>
>I then used foil tape to attach the strike rail to the vertical posts, so
>there was reasonable continuity to between the posts and the rail. For some
>dumb reason I attached the wire from the ground to one of the posts, instead
>of to the rail. There was still good continuity... but I should have put it
>on the rail itself to insure good connection.
>
>When I turned the coil on, loud yellow sparks began emitting from where the
>two ends of the rail itself were taped together. I didn't consider it
>necessary to solder the rail together since there would be 0 ohms around the
>other the rail anyway.
If the primary is say 15 turns, 15000V at 500A, a single turn strike rail
will act like a transformer and give 1000V at 7500 amps!! The strike rail
needs to have an air gap in it so that no voltage or current can flow in a
circle around it. Perhaps this is a big part of the problem you coil has
been having!! Cut the rail so it has a big gap or just get rid of it...
Have you ever notice that the strike rail gets warm?
>
>The only explanation I have for that is that the potential was so
>drastically different from each side of the ring-strike rail that it had to
>spark? But it wasn't even a blue arc, it was yellow sparks that looked like
>they were fireworks. I had it taped together with foil tape.
>
>>From the motor of my rotary gap, I have the wires from the motor going to
>two L brackets attached to the 2x4 frame of the coil. the L brackets are
>screwed into two pieces of pine that are glued to the 2x4 to try to prevent
>conductance between them; it seems to have worked.
>
>THe wires of the motor are alligator clipped to these, and there is the
>extension cord that is alligator clipped to the L brackets as well, so I can
>quickly take the coil apart. For 120V, low amperage draw from the motor, I
>think these connections are adequate to run the motor.
>
>The extension cord then comes down and is zip tied every foot to another
>extension cord which runs the 120V line from the outlet to the NST on the
>frame of the coil.
>
>Both cords terminate at the other end with plugs, but the motor cord has a
>speed control right before the plug for the rotary gap.
>
>When I have been running the coil, I have it hooked up so that the RQ gap is
>in series with the rotary to try to enhance quenching, and so when I run the
>gap on "static gap only" mode, the rotary gap is simply lined up with its
>electrodes to act as two more gaps in series.
Don't do that!
I would either use just the rotary or just the RQ gap. Putting them in
series my allow high voltage ring ups on blow the transformers. Of course,
France transformers will die by just plugging them in anyway!! (Sorry...
Terry has had a bad Franceformer day... =:-O~ )
>
>The rotary's rotor is a 3/8" by 6 1/2" dia lexan plate, with the electrodes
>on a 6" diameter. The electrodes are all connected electrically with wire
>on the back, and so I have my fixed electrodes across from one another, 6"
>apart, so they will fire in one side, out the other when the electrodes come
>into proximity.
That sounds good...
>
>The electrodes have no connection whatsoever to the input wires to the
>motor. Those are the wires that connect to the L brackets, to which is
>connected the extension cord, which is emitting very visible corona when I
>run the coil.
>
>It also melted a little bit of the carpet.
>
>My dad doesn't want me to run the coil (the way I have been, using the
>"static" rotary in series with my RQ gap) until I figure out what's
>happening with the corona discharge from the end of the cords.
>
>Oops! I failed to mention, the cord that emits the corona is not plugged
>into anything because I havn't been using the motor which it runs. Only the
>cord zip tied to it is plugged in, because it runs the NST.
It is very hard to say what is going on here. Be SURE the grounding is
good. In order to induce that kind of voltage in the cord, you almost have
to be getting high frequencies on the other cord. But it is hard to say
without seeing it... Dad is right here, find out what in the world is
going on with this corona thing. It sounds like it is wasted power that
should be going to the arcs... The strike rail thing "may" have something
to do with this...
>
>Sorry this is such a long letter, but I want to be as specific as possible
>to try to find out what's going on with my "phantom corona".
>
>Really, though, any of you ever perform an exorcism on a possessed coil? ;-)
No... But I am about to perform a failure analysis on a brand new
Franceformer with a chain saw and sledge hammer...
I would split the strike rail or get rid of it.
ONLY use the RQ gap at this point, just to get the thing working. Don't
series the different gaps.
Check grounding and see if you can find out what is going on with this
corona thing. If worst comes, remove the cord from the system to eliminate
the corona for sure ;-)
Tell you chemistry teacher the dog ate your lab report ;-))
Cheers,
Terry
>
>thanks,
>Nathan