RE: TC Spark Energy

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

Original poster: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-mgte-dot-com> 


Malcolm -

Did you use a wattmeter at the input? What did it read? Did you measure a
continuous spark at 100 sparks per second? Refer to my reply to Dr.
Resonance.

John Couture

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-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 7:23 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: TC Spark Energy


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


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