Re: TC vibration losses

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

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

Hi Terry.

**snip**

The subject of vibration and such has come up on Paul's list.  He was
wondering if vibration of the windings could be a source of loss in a TC. I
was wondering if anyone has ever noticed wear marks/patterns or such from
the vibrations in the windings as those high current pass through them.
Maybe something that would be more apparent on the really BIG systems...

**un-snip**

I imagine that losses due to vibration are totally insignificant when it
comes to efficiency. Neither Aron or I has ever come across wear due to
vibration on our 10kVA powered 12" coil. We have, however, seen wires jump
on the workbench before when running small single-shot TC's, as well as
other single-pulse stuff. Of course you can't SEE wires move on an
operating TC because the frequency is too high. But they do move every time
the spark gap fires - whether it's a single static gap gap that glows
orange or a 480BPS rotary. It's all in the pulsed magnetic field
surrounding the current-carrying conductors.

Anything that moves, get's hot, or radiates (etc. etc.) is a power loss.
Spark gaps get really hot, and they're bright as heck, and we all know they
are a significant source of inefficiency. I think that if vibrational
losses WERE significant, connections would fall apart, coatings a secondary
would split, or maybe a cold solder joint would break. But none of this
seems to happen. I don't know about the huge coils.

I do know that the innards of most large transformers are bolted down
TIGHT, mostly for noise reduction and fault (short) currents.

Have a good one Terry,

Justin Hays
KC5PNP
Email: pyrotrons-at-aol-dot-com
Website: www.hvguy-dot-com