Re: TC Question and Discharge Safety

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

Original poster: Bart Anderson <classi6-at-classictesla-dot-com> 

Hi John,

The gap is across the transformer through the primary. Although the cap is 
physically in the circuit, where is the potential difference? It's across 
the gap, not the cap. If you pull your caps out of the circuit, do you get 
the same result? I would expect so (gap adjustment left where it is). If 
you put the gap across C and L, then you'll have the potential difference 
across the C and L and the cap will charge. The when the gap fires, the NST 
is shorted out, and you have parallel LC oscillation. If you put the gap 
across L and place C between the gap and L, same thing (the potential 
difference across the cap prior to the gap arcing, the NST shorted out when 
the gap fires, then series LC oscillation).

Placing the gap in series this way is completely different. Try placing LC 
in series and the gap in series before both. Where's the potential 
difference? It occurs when the NST arcs the gap (if the gap is set to the 
NST's arcing potential). But, it's path is though L to do this. C is just 
sitting there waiting for the NST to make the circuit. Unfortunately, the 
NST is shorted out during the process, and C doesn't have a chance either way.

Take care,
Bart

Tesla list wrote:

>Original poster: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-mgte-dot-com>
>
>Bart -
>
>I agree it won't work. But why? I set up my small research TC and when I
>energized the NST the fixed operating gap was firing like crazy. The primary
>capacitors (.0125uf 24KV) were obviously being charged to some extent. It
>would be interesting to see the charging curve on the caps. My fixed
>operating gap is made with 6 copper tubes on a base that allows me to adjust
>the parallel spacing of any of the 5 gaps. Each gap was set at 30 mils a
>total of 150 mils. The firings were all along the 8 inches of gap length
>like a bunch of fire crackers (normal operation).
>
>It is my belief that this is a good example of why operation with any
>current limited transformer the charging of the primary capacitor must be
>carefully controlled to obtain the optimum output spark. This is also one of
>the reasons why the output sparks vary greatly in length producing random
>extra long sparks at times. The problem with the C.R. Magnetics faulty
>wiring setup is that the primary capacitors were being charged alright but
>the charge time could not be controlled.
>
>John Couture
>
>----------------------------------
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
>Sent: Friday, January 02, 2004 2:45 PM
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: TC Question and Discharge Safety
>
>
>Original poster: Bart Anderson <classi6-at-classictesla-dot-com>
>
>Ha! Good catch John! I didn't even notice.
>
>Nope, won't work. Been there, done that (more than once).
>
>Bart
>
>Tesla list wrote:
>
> >Original poster: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-mgte-dot-com>
> >
> >Bart -
> >
> >Do you think that Tesla coil wiring they show with the spark gap before the
> >capacitor will work?
> >
> >John Couture
> >
> >--------------------------------
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> >Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 8:40 PM
> >To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> >Subject: Re: TC Question and Discharge Safety
> >
> >
> >Original poster: Bart Anderson <classi6-at-classictesla-dot-com>
> >
> >Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > >Original poster: dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com
> > >
> > >Also, many will state that skin effect will protect you from the dangers
>of
> > >high frequency tesla coil discharges, but that is a myth.
> >
> >
> >Very true. An example is:
> >http://www.allaboutcircuits-dot-com/vol_2/chpt_9/7.html
>
>
>
>