Re: Trigger electrode wear

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

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

In most cases the trigger electrode is a high resistance circuit.The SG
current passes all around, over, on, the electrode, but not through the
trigger circuit.The voltage is there not the current. once the spark starts
the high current SG conducts from point to point isolating the trigger from
its current. Tf you dont use a high series resistance every thing changes.
   Robert  H

> From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:07:00 -0700
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Trigger electrode wear
> Resent-From: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Resent-Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:17:13 -0700
> 
> Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com>
> 
> My progress on a triggered spark gap may only be described as "glacial",
> but I am making progress.  It seems as if most of the ones built to date
> have the trigger electrode located midway between the two main electrodes.
> When the main gap fires, the high-current arc passes through the trigger
> electrode in two separate segments.  In addition to the trigger electrode
> enduring the full power of the main arc, it would seem as the gap losses in
> such a multi-segment arc may be higher.
> 
> I'm wondering if the trigatron geometry, where the trigger electrode is
> coaxial and flush with one of the main electrodes, would be better so far
> as trigger electrode erosion goes?  I'm just trying to decide if I need to
> find tungsten rods, or if any kind of wire or threaded rod would suffice.
> If it only has to endure the relatively low energy pumped into the trigger
> coil, i.e. if the main arc does not pass through the trigger electrode,
> there should be almost no erosion.  Does it?
> 
> My only reservation with the trigatron geometry is that the trigger
> polarity with respect to the adjacent electrode is always the same, since
> I'm using a DC-powered trigger generator. This results in alternate trigger
> polarities with respect to the main electrode biases on alternate
> half-cycles.  Is this only significant if nanosecond-level jitter is a
> concern?
> 
> Regards, Gary Lau
> MA, USA
> 
> 
>