Re: Overstessing Maxwell caps

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

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

Hi Steve, 
        I've used 35KV Maxwells with a 15KV supply with no problem (SO FAR). 
The main concern I have with them is the fact that they are made with finite 
life spans. If you buy them straight off the shelf from the distributor, they 
come with a spec sheet which gives the life expectancy in pulses. If, 
however, you buy them used, you have no idea how much they've already been 
used/abused. Then you have the "Dirty Harry" problem. You know the size of 
the gun, but not the number of  bullets remaining. " Do you feel lucky?"  I'd 
use them for as long as they lasted, then I'd build an MMC. 

Matt D. 

>
> Original poster: "Barton B. Anderson by way of Terry Fritz < 
> twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <tesla123-at-pacbell-dot-net> 
>
> Hi Steve, 
>
> It's really up to you. Obviously, 3x is safer than 2x. It's one of things 
> where it only takes one 
> time to kill the caps. I don't think anyone can say go with 2x and 
> everything will be ok, or go 
> with 3x and everything will be ok. It's ultmately your coil and you have to 
> make the decision to 
> chance it or not. 
>
> Regards, 
> Bart 
>
> Tesla list wrote: 
>
> > Original poster: "Steve White by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
> <slwhite-at-zeus.ia-dot-net> 
> > 
> > I have two 0.03 uF Maxwell caps rated at 35 KV each. I was planning to 
> connect 
> > them in parallel to obtain 0.06 uF for my pig coil which I am currently 
> > building. The pig puts out 14,400 volts RMS. I am now beginning to wonder 
> if 
> > the 35 KV voltage rating for the 2 parallel caps is enough. I 
> theoretically 
> > have about a 2x safety factor. I have been reading that 3x is preferable. 
> My 
> > design requires about 0.06 uF of capacitance. Should I go ahead and use 
> these 
> > caps (I paid quite a bit for them) or should I sell them and build a MMC 
> array 
> > instead? Alternatively, I could turn my variac some to a voltage 
> sufficient to 
> > obtain a 3x safety factor. 
>