Original poster: Vardan <vardan01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Hi, At 07:59 AM 4/30/2006, you wrote:
In a message dated 4/30/06 8:49:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:CASE 2: Streamer formation - no ground hit: A certain percentage of the energy making it to the secondary will go into the streamer leaving the remainding energy to be transfered back to the primary. One could create a series function to see how many transfers it takes until the existing streamer can not be sustained.. >From this, one can figure the ratio of the total streamer energy to initial primary energy (efficiency). One can figure the efficiency for 1st, 2nd, 3rd notch quench, etc, and figure how may primary notches until the streamer is no longer sustained.Gerry, It's possible that the streamer length is determined more by the peak initial energy transfer, than by the overall amount of energy transfered to the streamer. This would explain why most folks obtain longest streamers with tightest coupling, despite more notches occuring using such tight coupling.
It might also be due to the "speed" at which the secondary comes to power. both the Russians and DRSSTC folks seem to think that the faster the secondary comes to power, the longer the arcs are... A pure "speed" function.
In other words a less efficient (less total energy transfer) setup may actually give longer streamers.... Assuming that more notches actually results in less total energy transfer. Then there's Bert Hickman's suggestion that subsequent energy transfers back to the secondary (during one bang) actually help the sparks to grow. But in any case a disadvantage of delayed quenching is that it gives the caps less time to charge before the next bang. In contrast to much of what I say above, Dr. Resonance has obtained his longest streamers using a looser coupling. Looser than what his coil can physically withstand without getting racing sparks.
He used very low loss primary systems too. But the spark gap should be the dominant loss also...
Maybe the special glyptol coating he uses permits him to tighten his coupling far beyond what most folks can achieve without getting racing sparks. Maybe this is what has permitted him to see what others have failed to see.
The coatings, I think, are used more for "every day" durability. I doubt he is running so hard as to depend on the coating for voltage stand off...
To determine what's happening, it would be necessary to know the measured coupling of the Dr.'s coils to compare with other folks' coils. It would also be necessary to use the same method for measuring the k of the various coils, or at least a method that will give the same results. Some coupling measurement methods give incorrect results, making the coupling appear tighter than it actually is. This is especially true at tighter couplings.
Coupling can be calculated easily within a percent or two with computer programs and knowing the exact dimensions...
Cheers,
Terry
John