Re: Good times Bad times...

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <FutureT-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 4/15/01 6:56:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

> I still
>  wonder what the capacity of a 30KV piggie running at 60A is capable of as
>  far as streamer length??? Is
>  12-14 feet my max or can I tweek it some more????
>  
>   Scot D

Scot,

Assuming you turn up the variac all the way for 280V output,
and assuming your 60A is measured at the output of the
variac, then your VA = 16.8kVA.  This calcs out to an
expected spark length of about 18 feet.  Of course many
factors affect this.  I forget if your break rate is 120bps, or
240bps.  Based on my work at lower powers, I would expect
120 bps to give better performance than expected.  I've seen
coils running at higher breakrates that achieved the spark lengths 
predicted by my formula.  I would expect even better performance
at 120 bps, but I've been unable to verify this theory at high powers.
120bps systems generally demand very large toroids, due to the
large bang size.

Did you try raising the toroid a foot or two higher?  Also, did
you try lowering the secondary?  The use of the 10awg wire at the
bottom of the secondary will tend to make the coupling a little
loose maybe for a given height.

John Freau