Re: TC Spark Energy

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

Original poster: David Sharpe <sccr4us-at-erols-dot-com> 

Hi Steve

Tesla list wrote:
><<SNIPPO>>
>
>I don't know about this. The math shows that the energy transfer in the OLTC
>is no different to a conventional coil. The resonator shouldn't care if the
>magnetic field coupling to it comes from one turn with a very high current,
>or 10 turns with 1/10 of the current. My measurements with Rogowski coils
>sensing the primary current, antenna probes, current shunts in the secondary
>base, etc. seem to back this up.
>
>I will <knock on wood> say that I think the primary part of my OLTCs is as
>good as, or better than, the best spark-gap coils at getting power into the
>resonator. I also don't think the secondary losses are that much more than a
>spark-gap coil. I think the real reason is something to do with the coupling
>between resonator and streamers- I think this is affected somehow by the low
>frequency, high bps, or lower-than normal output voltage.
>
>When I say "degraded"... The results I have been getting with the OLTC II
>are as good as, if not better, than my conventional coil. But my
>conventional coil barely cranks out 40" with 1kW of power input, whereas
>according to John Freau's equation, it should do 53". Incidentally, it is
>one of those "machines with smaller capacitors, higher voltages, and larger
>primaries" that Dave mentioned. It has a 12nF cap bank charging to 20kV, a
>13 turn primary, and a 400bps ASRG with rather small brass electrodes
>(getting smaller every run)
------------------------------------------------
I have a magnifier that is almost identical to your SG machine, and a 1kW 
measured
have produced streamers as long a 42" caught on camera.  Also I've observed the
same phenomena, there is an optimum BPS for a systemn baed on power source
impedance, and dynamic impedances of HV circuit, SG, coupled impedances to
resonator.  As BPS went above optimum on my machine, you smelt the RSG
heating up, and saw the streamer length shrink...

>I can almost see where this is leading. Maybe there is a "critical bps"
>(depending on your coil size and construction) and increasing the bps above
>this value just heats the streamers rather than growing them? I remember
>Richie Burnett mentioning something similar. He found the output from his
>coil grew massively between 100 and 200bps, but going to 300 and 400 didn't
>make much difference. Then again, maybe if he had tried a bigger garage :)
I've seen this effect on every SG TC that I've observe running.

>This is difficult to quantify because so many factors are interacting. Power
>supplies sag as you crank the bps up, etc. But now people like Marco
>DeNicolai (and me :) ) have coils where the bps and charging voltage can be
>set accurately, we're in a position to start looking at it.
>
>Assuming anyone actually cares about squeezing the last foot of sparks out
>of their setup ;)
>
>Steve C.
Hopefully I will too, in not to distant future...

Regards
Dave Sharpe, TCBOR./HEAS
Chesterfield, VA. USA