Re: short circuit accross the spark gap

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

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

On 11 Mar 2004, at 7:14, Tesla list wrote:

 > Original poster: "Daniel Ullfig" <DUllfig-at-sbcglobal-dot-net>
 >
 > Hey everyone,
 >
 > In his first patent on the generation of high frequencies, Tesla used
 > a rotary "circuit controller", kind of like a DC motor collector. In
 > fact, the controller was turned by a DC motor. Anyways, if you study
 > the patent carefully, you see the controller actually disconnects the
 > charging circuit from the capacitor, before connecting it to the
 > primary. But in spark gap systems, the spark gap actually becomes a
 > short circuit accross the supply line when it fires.
 >
 > Has anyone given some thought on disconnecting the supply line from
 > the capacitor somehow before the spark gap fires? how much energy is
 > wasted by this short?

Not much. For a typical power supply incorporating leakage
inductance, energy is stored in this inductance during the time the
gap is conducting.

Malcolm

 > Dan Ullfig
 > Harbor City, CA
 >
 >
 >