Re: TC Spark Energy

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

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz> 

Hi John,

On 9 Mar 2004, at 12:48, Tesla list wrote:

 > Original poster: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-mgte-dot-com>
 >
 >
 > For over twenty years the coilers on the List have used output spark
 > length to compare their coils. The input is usually shown as a total
 > input watts. The problem is that this does not give the coiler any
 > indication of the actual energy per spark to give a true comparison of
 > Tesla coils. To my knowledge no coiler (see below) has ever determined
 > the TC input energy (joules) per spark for these comparisons. Do any
 > coilers know how this could be best accomplished?
 >
 > The overall engineering efficiency is represented by
 >
 >     Percent efficiency = 100 x Spark Length/Input Energy (joules)
 >
 > The spark length could be in centimeters, inches, etc, and the input
 > energy in joules or watt-seconds. The energy in the spark output is a
 > complex parameter so would have to be a compromise. In past postings
 > the approximate losses in the TC system have been determined and the
 > characteristics of the spark have been estimated. The preliminary
 > tests I have made gave  8.5 inches (21.59 cm) per joule of input
 > energy. Has any other coiler made these tests?
 >
 > John Couture

The length of spark per Joule varies considerably depending on sytem
parameters and also firing conditions (e.g. PRF). I have got to 12"
with less than a Joule in one small system in repetitive operation.
For a given system, adding another Joule to the primary energy is not
generally going to give a linear increase in spark length.

Malcolm


 >
 > --------------------------------
 >
 >
 >