Re: Streamer Behavior

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

Original poster: "Barton B. Anderson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <tesla123-at-pacbell-dot-net>

Hi Steve -

Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "S & J Young by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<youngs-at-konnections-dot-net>
>
> Bart and other spark scientists,
>
> At Bart's request, and for what it's worth, here are some observations on
> streamer behavior vs BPS.  This is with twin 4 x 23 inch coils per my recent
> postings.  Measurements are crude but some trends are apparent.  Observations
> are for each toroid - they break out about the same.
>
> First run:  Toroids spaced about 54 inches apart with one inch wires pointed
> toward each other as breakout points.
> The columns are 1) BPS, 2) corona length at tank cap charged to 10 KV, and 3)
> the "gas burner" (multiple streamer) effect threshold tank cap voltage.

Ahh, so we are calling multiple streamers a gas burner effect? Ok, maybe
this should be clarified. Is
there an actual gas burner effect which occurs during multiple steamer
formation or simply multiple
streamers?

> 1)     2)     3)
> 100     3"     17 KV
> 150     4      16
> 200     6      16
> 250     9      17.2
> 300    12      18.6
> 400    15      N/A - streamer between two toroids prevented gas burnering
> 500    15      N/A - ditto

Simply looking at 100, 200, 300 bps, sparklength followed the power curve
as expected. (1/2CV^2)*BPS.
It doesn't surprise me that the streamer formed between two surfaces once
enough power was applied
(even if longer than expected), considering both toroids are at work, the
ion clouds around both, and
the how the streamer formations themselves can react with nearby objects
(and vice-versa).

> Second run:  Bare toroids with no breakout wires.
> The columns are 1) BPS, 2)tank cap voltage at onset of breakout, and
> 3)approximate length of corona streamers at onset of breakout.
>
> 1)      2)      3)
> 100    13.6KV   6"  gas burner
> 150    13.0     8   gas burner
> 200    12.0    10   one streamer
> 300    11.6    13   one streamer
> 400    11.0    15   one streamer
> 500    11.0    18   one streamer

This is interesting (and assuming gas burner still means multiple streamers
in this test) (and totally
assuming 10nF for example purposes):

Without breakout wires, 6 inch streamers formed at:
0.5 * 10nF * 13.6kV^2 * 100bps = 184 Watts.

Previously with breakout wires, 6 inch streamers formed at:
0.5 * 10nF * 17kV^2 * 200bps = 512 Watts.

I'll stay away from bps vs. cap energy (as John said - too many variables
in this setup). But, without
breakout wires, it's interesting how the same sparklength was formed at 1/2
the bps and with less
power to the streamers. This is what I find remarkable in this test.

> The reader can draw his own conclusions.
>
> Other observations:  At 100 BPS and full power (20 KV into tank cap) the
> streamers were only about a foot long.  At 500 BPS, tank cap voltage is
down to
> 14.8 KV yet the streamer length is approximately 5 times as long.

Yes, but the power to the streamers is way up there and this is a twin coil
setup. They may or may not
be as long with one of the coils completely removed.

>  Obviously
> the streamer length seems more correlated to BPS, which correlates to average
> power going to the streamers, than to individual bang size.
>
> --Steve

Streamer length appears correlated directly to power AND how the point of
charge is built and released
at the toroid.

Very intersting Steve, thanks!

Bart