Re: Racing Arcs Explained???

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Steve Ward" <steve.ward@xxxxxxxxx>

Hi Garry,

Saying its a voltage gradient problem is really just sort of stating
the obvious.  I cant really explain why it doesnt seem as bad if the
coil is tuned correctly (though i personally havent noticed this, i
see it mentioned often).  I generally cure racing sparks by simply
lowering the coupling, and as Gerry mentioned, the V/turn is
determined by the primary volts/turn, and the coupling between the
primary turns and secondary turns (though i think thats still
simplifying things a bit, since many primaries have turns that are all
of a different diameter, so the volt/turn isnt the same throughout....
right?).

My website is now at:

www.stevehv.4hv.org

It could use some updates of more recent work, i guess i've been
getting lazy about that.

Steve

On 8/16/06, Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Original poster: "Garry Freemyer" <garryfre@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Nice. Thanks for letting me know. I had the feeling I was likely incorrect.
>
> Hey, what's your web site now a days? I've seen a few links to it but they
> come up with the cannot be displayed error.
>
> Interesting, I haven't seen any solid state coils that could work without
> having a breakout point. I would really be interested in seeing some
> pictures of how the streamers look without a breakout point.
>
> The voltage gradient thing is a nice way to describe it.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 5:20 PM
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Racing Arcs Explained???
>
> Original poster: "Steve Ward" <steve.ward@xxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>  >So, the question is, has anyone ever experienced racing sparks on a tuned
>  >solid state or VTCC? If they occur on these type of coils and if these
> coils
>  >don't emit harmonics, it would disprove my guesses.
>
> My DRSSTCs experience true racing sparks, but usually it isnt so
> severe as what ive experienced with spark gap coils.  The problem has
> worstened now that i try to make energy transfers as quick as
> possible.  I actually only get racing sparks if i try to run the coil
> without a breakout point, then i see the sparks across my secondary
> now and then.  A DRSSTC shouldnt excite any higher harmonics, so it
> seems the problem of racing sparks really may be just transformer
> action, and having simply too much of a voltage gradient.  I know
> Jimmy's original DRSSTC experienced a lot of problems with racing
> sparks.  He went so far as to add disks to his secondary, which i
> guess helped.
>
> Ive also experimented with using inductors for marx generators, and
> again there i have seen the same racing spark phenomena.  I was
> running about 20kV/inch of winding length (though it could have
> possibly peaked higher), and that was enough to start problems.  I
> didnt have any insulation on the magnet wire, though.
>
> The primary of a TC is pretty much a lumped LC, its not going to
> respond so much to harmonics.  I think the reason spark gap coils are
> worse with racing sparks than SS or VT coils is because the primary
> energy peaks to its maximum within the first half-cycle.  SS and VT
> coils slowly build up primary energy, which allows the secondary to
> slowly ring up in voltage (even when the coupling is high).
>
> Steve