Re: Why need bleeder resistors?

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

Original poster: Sean Taylor <sstaylor-at-uiuc.edu> 

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 19:06:29 -0700, Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:

>Original poster: "Jim Mitchell" <electrontube-at-sbcglobal-dot-net> In a classic 
>tesla coil circuit, the NST is in series with capacitor and primary, with 
>the spark gap across the rails of the NST.  Now this means that when power 
>is off, the capacitors would be shorted out by the secondary of the NST 
>and it would discharge the capacitor right?  Why would you need bleeder 
>resistors then?
>
>Regards - Jim Mitchell
>

I assume you mean on an MMC?  If so, each cap MAY accumulate a different DC 
offset, so say you have 2 caps in series, one may be at +1000, while the 
other is at -1000, leaving a net voltage of 0.  There was a lengthy 
discussing about this a while back, I don't remember exactly when though.
Otherwise, you're right, the secondary of the NST will short the caps - 
unless it happens to fail open during a run!

Sean Taylor
Urbana, IL