Re: Then what's the topload FOR?

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

Original poster: "Jan Florian Wagner by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jwagner-at-cc.hut.fi>


> Now, Resonant and Transformer both seem to indicate an AC thing to me,
yup

> I have yet to see a DC Transformer (though I could REALLY use a few)
Well, DC "transformers" exist, but of course it has electronics inside in 
addition to the magnetics. Switching power supply of a few 10..100kHz's.
But because these are generally sold as black boxes with 4 pins, many
people seem to believe it really is an ordinary transformer...

> or anything that resonates only one way never crossing a zero point.
You're probably right about the "mandatory" zero crossing. But AFAIK this
can not be proven, at least not purely mathematically... ;o)
 
> Ok....then, what's the toplaod do?
> 
> A Topload forms one side of a large air capacitor, cool, now, when the 
> capacitor discharges (i.e. a streamer) it does this either into the air, or 
> into a grounded object, the instantanious discharge would be DC because 
> we're dischargeing a capacitor.

In a direct ground strike (high current, white flash, very low impedance)
the first strike very certainly is DC. 

But once the ion channel has been established, the TC primary system will
then continue driving the low impedance of the channel, with AC. 

The secondary is now very close to non-resonant (well, HEAVILY damped
resonant) so there is no resonant voltage rise and the TC pri<->sec acts
like an "ordinary" transformer. In this case you get out a voltage
corresponding to turns ratio and coupling.
 
> So...we're trying to charge a DC storage device from an AC supply...wouldn't 
> this just result in a net charge of 0V? Think about it....

Nope. Only the _average_ voltage is 0V and average charge is 0C.

Because the topload breaks out at it's maximum voltage peak of the
sine cycle (which can be the negative, or positive, peak), also the charge
is at maximum.

It may take multiple cycles to reach that maximum voltage before breakout.
During this time, the topload certainly is charged and discharged
continuously. But, the primary tank circuit keeps on moving it's energy to
the secondary "tank", so the voltage peaks on the topload actually grow
higher after each cycle.

If the topload does NOT break out and the pri spark gap is closed all the
time, the energy moved from pri tank to TC sec, will be gradually pumped
back into the primary again. And then gradually back into the TC sec once
again. And so on...

Then again, if it DOES break out - not into a ground strike but streamers,
you'll end up with the TC secondary only slightly loaded (contrary the
very low impedance load of a ground strike). So the oscillations are
not that heavily damped. And, there is still room for resonant voltage
rise in the TC secondary. The streamers act slightly similar like an
"extention" of the top load.
This continues until the streamers have added enough load and capacitance
the the TC secondary system, so that the secondary and primary are now
totally out of tune, no resonance, and the TC secondary peak output
voltage now is only what you'd expect from an "ordinary" transformer.

Just some thoughts. They aren't 100% correct... but I hope they give a
picture of whats going on.

cheers,
 - Jan

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