Re: the cure for racing sparks

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

Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br>

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "marc metlicka by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>

>  This seems to be what I have Wondered also, It only stands to reason to
> me that if the coating has an ability to hold, and possibly gain a
> charge, This might cause problems. Maybe as this charge builds it might
> locate itself on a lump or bubble in the coating somewhere, this along
> with the field strength of the coil itself, could be just enough to
> cause a breakout? This would present a racing arc along the coils
> length.

Charge deposited on the secondary coating will certainly try to get as
close as possible to the windings, and may even  cause breaks in the
insulation. I think that the presence of mobile charges on the surface, 
that can be easily moved by the RF electric fields, specially by the 
intense local fields that happens when the terminal discharges,
may contribute to the phenomenon. 

>  The difference was instead of running down the windings, it ran in the
> field of the secondary without damage.

Isn't this just a regular arc to ground? It didnt' track over the
secondary surface.

>  Again my problem of explaining myself comes into play, I do not doubt
> that the coupling is the same. It stands to reason that if the primary
> to secondary coupling = .025, then the secondary to primary would be the
> same.
>  My thinking is that the primary magnetic field, Being an air core
> field, drains into the secondaries windings very efficiently, (when the
> gap fires).
>  But, the field of the secondary winding is in a different configuration
> and it literally has to drain the power from the top of the secondary
> winding, down the side of the coil, to the primary.
>  This oscillation between primary, or tank, to secondary and back, could
> promote racing arcs in itself?
>  Or at least carry any winding breakout that may happen, along with it.

Hummm... I don't think so. The magnetic field coupling between the coils
doesn't have an essential role in the operation of the coil. A Tesla
coil-like circuit can be built without this. By the way, my 
transformerless coil so far didn't show any sign of racing sparks or
any visible corona in the secondary (except on the terminal, of course).
But it operates with very little power.
 
Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz