RE: Secondary size

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

Original poster: "Luke" <Bluu-at-cox-dot-net> 

Thanx for the input

I am beginning to think I may have to just build mine the size everyone
else does and have absolutely no idea if it is optimal.  I will only
know others made it work so I can too.  Building the size that others
build is not bad.  Not knowing why in my opinion is.

Thanx again

Luke Galyan
Bluu-at-cox-dot-net

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 6:39 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Secondary size

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

In a message dated 1/15/04 7:32:09 AM Pacific Standard Time,
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:


 >Thank you for the input.
 >So why can a small dia secondary handle only so much power?
 >For example your 6" coil designed for 15KV 120mA what is happening that
 >causes the near destruction running it at 600mA 15KV?
 >Not that I need exact formula's but what is happening?
 >
 >And thanx never really understood why some used a double toroid on the
 >top.
 >Ill look more into that next I guess.
 >So you might see some questions related to that soon.
 >
 >thanx
 >
 >Luke Galyan
 >Bluu-at-cox-dot-net


Luke,

I base that statement on the observation of intense blue corona
completely
enveloping the secondary with occasional streamers breaking out from the

secondary along its length and thin streamers traveling from the bottom
of
the toroid down through the corona toward the primary.  Believe me,
standing about 20 feet away, when this coil is running at full power,
you
wonder when it is going to go up in smoke.  I observed a similar thing
with
my 3" coil when I was experimenting with my first synchronous rotary
gap.  I think the coupling was too tight on this coil.  The secondary
shorted in a couple of places from turn to turn and sparks discharging
from
the lower one third of the coil (to the primary) caused burn spots in
the
windings.  I had to rebuild that coil.

I could probably run higher power levels on the 6" coil if I backed off
on
the coupling.  But I am guessing I would not achieve any longer sparks
than
at present.

I would think that any Tesla coil system can be overpowered to
destruction.  Where that limit is depends on the physical geometry of
the
thing and the level of coupling.  I can't tell you how to determine this

without experimentation.  By the way, I think my 6" coil coupling is
about
.18.  Also, I am not aware of any other coiler applying that much power
to
a 6" coil, nor of achieving 104" sparks with a 6" coil.  I think it is
"living on the edge".

Ed Sonderman