Gap Loss III (Re: Power output)

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

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

Tesla list wrote:
 
> A spark gap must act as a switch. On-Off,

	Switches have on off.  spark gaps have 'sort of on' and off.

> Efficiency is made of both.

	Sort of on wastes power.

> If the gap doesn't conduct

	Gaps always have some on voltage drop.  It's low, but non zero.

> or doesn't stop conducting efficiency is zero.

	The normal conducting state is greater than zero 'impedance'.

> I state this to point to the problem of what do you mean as efficency?

	One infers the usual meaning:
	How much of the power available is lost in the spark?
	State that as a percentage of that available.
	In general, the off state is pretty well off, so the drop along
	spark governs.

> I can guess, but I dont know what parameters are you questioning.

	Various investigators have measured and posted results.

=============================================================

> > Original poster: "Jim DeLillo by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> > <jimdel-at-bellatlantic-dot-net>
> >
> >> About 1/2 the power is lost

	Other figures have been cited.  The voltage of the gap is
	surprisingly low.

> >> in the spark gap.

> > What can(has) be done to reduce this power loss?

	100 years of intermittent development.  Essentially, this
	started with Tesla, continued when spark gap was the only
	means of doing 'wireless'.  Much Effort went into
	developments, and measurements.  These techniques gave been
	adopted, adapted and developed by today's Tesla
	investigators.

> > What's the best we can expect.

> > What if one were to make a 100% efficient spark gap?

	If the 15% cited is apt, then about 7% increase in spark
	length.  (if 15% is apt, that implies 85% is going elsewhere:
	spark, transformer losses, cap losses...)

	best
	dwp