Re: More THOR Expts

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

Original poster: FutureT-at-aol-dot-com 

In a message dated 7/30/04 1:59:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

Dr. Resonance,

Having seen one of your coils at the Jersey City Science Center,
I can attest to the beauty of the sparks from that coil.

John

>Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance-at-jvlnet-dot-com>
>
>
>
>We should also be asking "what is the best break rate to generate the best
>spark appearance"?
>
>The long "stringy" spark appearance generated by a high break rate on a
>classic design coil don't have as much character is sparks produced by a
>synchro RSG.
>
>Unfortunately, the tradeoff requires Cres * 3.2 for a synchro system.  This
>requires more capacitance and hence more $$$ spent.
>
>A non-synchro system, kept at a reasonable break rate in the 375-450 pps
>range produces nice thick sparks without the "stringly" appearance.  A
>synchro system produces nice bushy appearing sparks at 120 pps but usually
>they are not as long as a higher charge pumping system in the 375-450 pps.
>We prefer to run around 400-450 pps for most of our systems operating in the
>5-15 kVA range.  Slightly longer sparks than synchro with a nice appearance
>before going "stringy".
>
>The beauty aspect of the pps should also be considered when searching for
>the best looking sparks with a good length.
>
>This range seems to work well for both medium, and large coil systems.  With
>small systems we usually run a stationary 2 or 3 gap sparkgap.  Using 1/2
>dia. tungsten electrodes and 1/2 dia brass rod fitted to 1.25 x 1.25 inch
>square brass blocks as a heatsink, good quenching and efficient operation is
>the result with nice looking spark on the output.  A mistake many small
>coilers make is not using a large enough dia. heatsink and electrodes for
>good cooling and quenching.  Even carriage bolt heads are an improvement
>over small 1/8th and 1/16th inch dia. tunsten rod.  It works but the
>electrode ends quickly heat to near red hot and the output spark diminishes
>as a result of poor quenching.
>
>Dr. Resonance