Re: High Voltage Output

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

Original poster: Finn Hammer <f-h-at-c.dk> 

Chris,

One thing to keep in mind, when trying to understand why the Tesla Coil Top 
Voltage is not determined by turns ratio is this:
The primary and secondary circuits are resonant at the same frequency.
If you drive the primary with a constant input of power, like in an 
oscillator driven coil, the top of the secondary will reach a voltage 
higher than the turns ratio, determined by the Q of the coil/topload combo.
But the disruptive tesla coil is fed with small bursts of charge from the 
primary capacitor: as soon as the gap fires, the energy in the primary cap 
is decreasing rapidly.
So in that case the top voltage is determined by the ratio btwn. the 
primary cap and the secondary cap, multiplyed by primary firing voltage.

Either way, the tesla coil top voltage never follows the turns ratio.

Cheers, Finn Hammer
Tesla list wrote:

>Original poster: "Chris Fanjoy" <zappyman-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>   As someone relatively new to this hobby (still building my first TC) I 
> haven't fully grasped all the principles involved. One thing that has me 
> puzzled is this: what determines the high voltage output of a Tesla coil? 
> If not the step-up ratio of the coil itself, then how about:
>-Firing rate of spark gap
>-Size of tank capacitor
>-Operating frequency of coil
>-All of the above?
>   Just curious, as this may be something to consider as I design my own TC.
>Chris
>