RE: TC Spark Energy

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

Original poster: "David Thomson" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org> 

Hi Malcolm,

 > The problem with trying to assign a shot energy to streamer length in
 > repetitive operation is that it doesn't work because while the energy
 > is largely the same for each shot, the streamer length varies
 > considerably. Consider that for the first shot or two of a run, the
 > streamer length is minimal whereas a second or two later, you might
 > have sparks stretching a number of feet, all with the same primary
 > energy or close to it. Hot air assistance.

It can't be all hot air assistance.  In fact, I wonder if it really has
anything at all to do with streamer length.  On my coils, the streamer takes
a different path on each shot.  If hot air had anything to do with it, then
I would expect the streamer to find a single path and build up in one spot
only.

It seems that as electrons pierce the atmosphere they fill in all the
positive ions in a given path.  On the next shot, they need to find a
different path (even if only slightly different) because the positive ions
in the previous path had been mostly filled.  If this theory is true, then a
ground rod does not supply negative ions to a circuit, but rather draws them
into the earth.  The ground connection should have a more positive
electrostatic potential at its highest point with respect to the Earth
ground plane.

One way to test this is to run a Tesla coil and measure the streamer
lengths.  Then run a negative ion generator in the vicinity of the coil for
some time before turning it on again.  If the streamers are shorter after
running the negative ion generator (or longer after running a positive ion
generator) then we would know the ion count of the atmosphere is a
significant factor.

Likewise, if hot air assistance is a factor, there should be longer
streamers in hotter ambient air than in colder ambient air.

Dave