Re: Triggered Gaps

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

Original poster: "Daniel Barrett by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dbarrett1-at-austin.rr-dot-com>

     "Around these parts" the third electrode is typically connected to a car
ignition coil. You fire this by building a circuit that dumps a small
(1-2uF) capacitor charged to 120-400 VDC into the ign. coil. The arc jumps
from the third electrode into the main gap and fires it. Magnets might work
for quenching, but this is usually done with airflow from a vacuum cleaner
blower of similar. There is much data about this in the archives, or see my
stuff:
http://www.hot-streamer-dot-com/db_single_MOT_coil_2002.09.27.zip
db


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 10:05 PM
Subject: Triggered Gaps


 > Original poster: "Jeremy Scott by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<supertux1-at-yahoo-dot-com>
 >
 > Hi,
 >
 > I've had a few ideas poking around in my brain lately.
 >
 >
 > I think I would like to modify my SRSG coil into
 > one that uses a triggered spark gap .. thus
 > making sort of solid state.
 >
 > My understanding of the triggered spark gap is that
 > it is a single two electrode static gap with the
 > electrodes placed at such a distance that they will
 > never arc on their own at the desired arcing voltage.
 > In order to facilitate an arc, a third electrode is
 > introduced. This third electrode delivers electrons
 > from a completely isolated HV circuit into the space
 > between the primary electrodes and thus triggers
 > the main spark. Kind of like an ultra high power, high
 > voltage, low resistance, fast transistor.
 >
 > Seems easy enough to build, has anyone made one, if
 > so, how did you drive the third electrode such that
 > it promoted gap breakdown at the right times?
 > (peak and troughs of the NST AC sinewave.)
 >
 > Also, since the electrode assists in breaking down the
 > gap, is there any other sort of apparatus that would
 > do the solid state equivalent of quenching it?
 > My thought was a powerful electromagnet that would
 > repel or attract the ionized air away from the gap.
 >
 >