Re: spark gap question...

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

Original poster: "Metlicka Marc by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>

gary,
yes i should have been more accurate in saying that the solid state gap
WILL be more efficient due to no arc path, sorry.

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com>
> 
> Hi Marc:
> 
> i'm planing on finding someone that has better circuit building
> abilities then me to build me another driver and i want to get some
> quenching data on my scope, it is my opinion that the triggered gap will
> perform all the magical tricks that terry fritz stated his solid state
> gap would do.
> actually it would be more accurate to call it a "syncronous\asyncronous
> arc switch" because it turns on and off when you want, not when the tank
> energy falls below the ability to conduct and you're right in the fact
> that the triggered gap will force conduction and control low voltages, i
> have used it to fire my 1000v transformer at 60hz.
> marc m.
> 
> While a triggered gap may potentially be one up on a sync or async RSG
> in terms of timing adjustability, it can't beat a true solid state gap
> on two other counts:
> 
> A triggered spark gap can be turned ON at any desired point in time
> (provided the electrode voltage is above some minimum value), but the
> turn OFF time is still dependant upon the same nebulous factors that
> govern any spark gap's quenching.

this is the misconception, if the plasma channel is being totally
removed
and only supported by the triggered pulses electrons, then the gap
cannot maintain itself without the trigger. this is how i get it to shut
off when i want it to, granted i'm using a blower that the average
coiler doesn't readily have access to, but the average coiler doesn't
need it to force quench at will. as long as the arc cannot support
itself at any power level and once ignited, cannot support an arc
channel, it will shut down.

  A solid state gap is truly able to
> turn off as a function of an arbitrary control voltage, as plasma
> conduction is no longer involved.

again, efficiency.

> 
> Also, the losses in a solid state gap are likely to be far lower than a
> spark gap of any sort.  Unless something goes TERRIBLY wrong, the
> transistors in a SS gap should not be glowing white hot nor making
> sounds like a chainsaw, all signs that major losses are occurring in
> spark gaps.

agreed

> 
> Regards, Gary Lau
> MA, USA


marc m.
#1055
PI geek