Re: Primary Heating

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

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz>

Hi Scot,

On 11 Mar 2002, at 21:25, Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "BunnyKiller by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<bigfoo39-at-telocity-dot-com>
> 
> Tesla list wrote:
> 
> >Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com>
> >
> >I wonder if a conical primary, where the inner turns are less under the
> >influence of the outer turn's magnetic field, can be shown to have lower
> >proximity-effect losses?  
> >
> >Since the losses necessary to heat up a significant length of copper tubing
> >probably are significant, would the losses in a primary segment (just the
> >innermost 2-3 turns, since Litz wire can't be tapped) constructed of Litz
> >wire be significantly less?
> >
> >Gary Lau
> >MA, USA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> Hi All...
> 
> after reading many of the primary heating threads, I began to wonder if 
> ( since we have so many great minds at work here ;)   ) someone has 
> pondered the fact that we lose way too much energy in the spark gap that 
> could be effectively transposed into the secondary/capacitor. Is there 
> any way to reduce the losses in the spark gap, or is this a mute subject???
> 
> there is alot of energy lost ... consider the light produced, the heat 
> produced... if we could only regain that energy and put it where it 
> needs to go.....    maybe a 20% increase in streamer lenght ... if not 
> more???
> 
> come on people lets give it a thought or 10 ....  just maybe we can come 
> up with a new approach ...

I don't think it's any great secret. Increase Xp to reduce gap 
current since the loss is essentially a VI function. Interestingly 
enough, there is probably only so well you can do. Consider that for 
a given Xp, if you reduce all other primary losses to an absolute 
minimum, primary current is maximised which = maximised gap losses 
for that value of Xp. A related approach is to run real high primary 
voltages as well to make the Vgap drop a smaller fraction of the 
total.
 
Regards,
malcolm