Re: Desktop Bipolar Coil

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Mddeming-at-aol-dot-com>


Hi All,
        Let me use a simple mechanical analogy to show the problem with 
this whole discussion.
Question: A sailor standing at point A throws the end of a rope to another 
sailor at point B and the points are D feet apart. The rope is one inch in 
diameter.
1) How long is the rope?
2) What is the mass of the rope?
3) How much energy was used by the sailor at point A?
Answer:
1) The rope's length L is some unknown number greater than or equal to D.
2) the mass of the rope is that unknown number L x (1/24)^2 x pi/d, where d 
is the unknown density of the rope at the temperature and humidity 
conditions at the time of the toss.
3) E=f(D,d) both unknown quantities.
All you really can know is that
1) The rope was big enough to reach from A to B.
2) The sailor at A supplied enough energy for the rope's end to reach point B.

IMO, the rest is a major exercise in sophistry, more appropriate to a law 
forum than a Tesla List.

Matt D.

snip---
 >Generally the goal of a coiler is long sparks.

Since large TCs dont have any practical uses, i would say that is the only
design goal.  Most of us could care less to know EXACTLY how much power is
being burned up and how much is in the sparks.  It seems that spark lenght
and intensity are the most wanted characteristics, not really how much
power is radiated or anything like that.

   It's possible for a
 >coil
 >to more efficient in the true sense of coil effiency, yet give shorter 
sparks.
 >For example, one may have a coil that uses 1kW and gives a
 >30" controlled spark length, and a 42" maximum spark length.
 >Another coil may use 1kW and give 33" controlled spark length,
 >but give only 40" maximum spark length.  Most folks would rather
 >have the coil that gives longer max sparks, even though it's less efficient
 >in the true sense.  These kinds of situations may possibly occur due
 >to certain toroid sizes, breakrates, or other factors.

Seems to be a touchy area as to what is considered "efficient".

snip---