RE: Optimum performance: Coil specs.

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

Original poster: "John H. Couture by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net>


Simon -

The optimum performance for Tesla coils is the Holy Grail of Tesla coils.
Hundreds of Tesla coils have been built in the past, but unfortunately,
there have been too few tests made, except for sparks, of these coils to
determine the optimum parameters for a particular size coil.

However, as a start you should select a certain watt input which you have
done. The next step is to design a secondary circuit to give you an
operating frequency. The primary circuit is then designed to resonate to
this frequency. The equations are
    LpCp = LsCs   and  F = 1/(6.823xsqrt(LxC))
Finding the optimum parameters for these equations are the problem. The
equations not only have to balance but also have to meet the proper
requirements for energy balance in the primary and secondary circuits. This
means making a resonable estimate of the efficiencies involved. A computer
program is a help but the proper program is not available yet. Coilers
usually do some design calculations but build mostly by trial and error
methods.

John Couture

-------------------------------


-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 3:54 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Optimum performance: Coil specs.


Original poster: "Simon Yorkston by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <quantumx-at-ozemail-dot-com.au>


Hi all.
Having seen the latest posts on obtaining optimum performance, I was
prompted to scetch down all of my coil info, and would be much obliged if
someone could browse them over and point out any glaring inconsitancies. [I
have a bad feeling about my MMC]

Thanks.

Xfrmr volatage: 15kV
Xfrmr current  :  30mA

Prim. Inner Diameter: 12" - 3" clearance per side << error here?
Prim. Coil turns       : 16
Prim. dist b/w turns  : 1/2"

Primary cap size: 0.00627ufd

Secondary Coil Diameter: 6"
Secondary Turns: ? [My arms were aching too much to count :P]
Secondary Coil Length: 24"
Wire Guage: 22AWG
[.:. ~814 turns? that was a quick calculation]
Height of first turn aboive primary: 2"

I have two Toroids, I had some spare ducting, so i made another. I'll write
the info of the large one first, then the second.

Terminal Diameter: 22"
Inner Diamerter   : 16"
Height above Primary: 34"
Height above Secondary: 9"

2nd Toroid:
Diameter: 14"
Inner     :   4"
Height above primary: 30"
Height above secondary: 5"

SparkGap type: Static.
No. Gaps: 12
Tapped: 5 [Untill I get new resistors]

That's it! There's something to sink your teeth into.

I think I can see some of the glaring errors, eg: Primary inner diamter,
toroid height above primary [and secondary], and maybe my caps.

Thanks very much for your help,
Simon