Re: TSG Troubles

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

Original poster: "colin.heath4 by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <colin.heath4-at-ntlworld-dot-com>

hi,
     im tempted to say that the triggered alectrodes are not far enough apart
and once the gap fires then it conducts when it wants to like a static gap.
i asume you are ramping voltage up on a variac meaning that at lower power
levels its lower voltage not current?
this also indicates the condition you are describing as the voltage goes up
the gap conducts without the aid of ionising the air from the trigger
electrode
cheers
colin

----- Original Message -----
From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 2:52 PM
Subject: TSG Troubles


 > Original poster: "S & J Young by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<youngs-at-konnections-dot-net>
 >
 > Triggered Spark Gappers,
 >
 > I need some help.  I am having mediocre to miserable performance with my
 > asynchronous triggered spark gap setup.  I have a MOT 4-pack with dual
 > doublers providing up to 20 KV of smoothed DC.  This runs a resonant
 > charging TC arrangement.  Inductor is three MOT secondaries and a de-Qing
 > diode string in series.
 >
 > My TSG has two 3/16 inch diameter tungsten electrodes with an air blast to
 > help with quenching.  I have tried a trigger electrode between the two
main
 > electrodes.  I have tried a needle point perpindicular to and spaced away
 > from the axis of the main electrodes.  I have also tried annular rings -
 > washers with 3/4 or 1 inch inside diameter with the inside edge ground
 > sharp.  Best results for any of these seems to be around 180 BPS.  All
 > configurations perform about the same.
 >
 > The TSG setup works great for power levels under about 700 DC watts.   But
 > if I crank up the power, the TSG loses control and fires at a BPS of
perhaps
 > 1500 or more, making wonderfully bright streamers, but drawing far too
much
 > AC power and generally stressing everything way too much.  Adjusting gap
 > spacing, air velocity, trigger location, etc. does not improve the TSG
 > performance at higher power.  I have not been able to run over 1 KW and
 > retain triggering control of the gap.
 >
 > Has anyone used a TSG with a DC resonant charging reactor setup and had
good
 > performance?  Or, does anyone have any good engineering experience and
ideas
 > to improve my setup?
 >
 > In the meantime, it's back to my asynchronous RSG - heavy sigh . . .
 >
 > Steve Y.
 >
 >