Re: Streamer Behavior

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

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>

Hi Bart,
         To clarify the last point:

On 20 Dec 2001, at 6:53, Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "Barton B. Anderson by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <tesla123-at-pacbell-dot-net>
> 
> Hi Malcolm -
> 
> Tesla list wrote:
> 
> > Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>
> >
> > Greetings Bart,
> >
> > On 19 Dec 2001, at 8:12, Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > > Original poster: "Barton B. Anderson by way of Terry Fritz
> > <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <tesla123-at-pacbell-dot-net>
> >
> > <snip>
> > > Streamer length appears correlated directly to power AND how the point of
> > > charge is built and released
> > > at the toroid.
> >
> > After some experiments a while ago I came to the conclusion that
> > buried in a strong power dependence there is a weak sparklength
> > dependence on output voltage and (separately) charge availability at
> > the terminal. In meeting John Freau's sparklength vs power forumla
> > requirements there must be an optimum configuration to produce both
> > these things in suitable quantities. That is my future angle of
> > attack.
> 
> As you will see in a reply to Steve, I didn't realize 10kv was the voltage
> at the point of breakout on
> the first set of data. This correction causes both sets of data to match
> (which is good). Regardless,
> they both still follow a very dominate power function.
> 
> >     I remember a story from Richard Hull once on testing a coil. The
> > nub of it was that at some power (about 6kW I think), he was seeing 2
> > -3' streamers. With power increased by a single kW to about 7,
> > "suddenly the 8-footers were there".
> >
> > Regards,
> > Malcolm
> 
> Yes, I have experienced this and I expect others have as well. On my
> retired 12.75" coil, sparks would
> sputter around (yea, about 3 to 5 feet) and then with a wee bit more
> current, take off producing those 8
> footers. This occurred around the 12mH area on the ballast. Increasing
> current had no further effects
> except to increase sparklength with power until a breaker popped (others
> have had different results).
> But, there was definately a small change in the current that caused a big
> change in the output sparks.
> 
> There is such a variety of interrelated functions occurring (from beyond
> the tip of the spark formation
> all the way back to the power factor variances) that it truely boggles the
> mind! When you talked about a
> higher voltage and seperate charge availability at the terminal, is the
> higher voltage your talking
> about a higher cap voltage?

Terminal voltage, not primary. For example, I could build a coil with 
little total secondary capacitance to produce 500kV. I could build 
another with considerably more secondary capacitance and output 350kV 
(same primary energy in both cases. If BPS is the same in both cases 
(in other words, power input to the primary) and ignoring primary 
losses (can be arranged to be the same in both cases), which gives 
the longer streamers? That is where I'm coming from.

Regards,
Malcolm