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RE: PIRANHA - New Top Load Configuration



Original poster: Vardan <vardan01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Gary,

At 06:35 AM 10/16/2006, you wrote:
Hi Terry:

That's a very cool look!  The matching quad dragon ground points will be
a nice accessory.

They are threaded and also act like bolts to hold down the top cover. They act more like a strike rail that dedicated ground points. But the top balls could probably be easily adjusted for any case. BTW - Never tell an artist your going to stick their work into a milling machine and "work on it" =:O

What parameter is "tuned" by sliding the balls in and out - C-top, or
just the e-field geometry?

Probably both, It would be cool to position their radius so they would be equal to a standard toroid of the same dimensions. I don't think that is easy to "calculate". Since it is not radially symmetrical E-Tesla can't do it... I am sure after a little fiddling I will just lock them in place with pins. Right now The diameter is 3X the ball size as sort of a "standard". Of course, one could use six or eight balls too... Hopefully, the balls will not become hard to get like MMC caps and IGBTs :o))

I got mine already ordered from here:

http://www.krupps.com/Gazing-Balls/3-1-3

The shipping is super high, but they are still cheapest. I think it is best to avoid the "painted" or color ones since the coating will probably burn up. But some of them look really cool!! I hope cobalt bits and reamers will drill through the super hard stainless steel! I think Hopes make a nice polish for SS too if they get tarnished over time. I think the SS can also be easily plated by a shop for other metals like brass or gold if one wants. BTW - I have not "tested" the top load thing at all so it is "experimental" at this point. But if it works, it will be a nice very easy way to make bigger "pretty" top loads for not too much money (I have already sold my toroid manufacturing stock :o)). It does make very pretty ray trace pictures ;-)) So far, figuring out the ray trace graphics to help explain it all has been the hardest thing ;-)) It would be hard to explain with out a picture, but with one, it is trivial:

http://drsstc.com/~piranha/PIRANHA/PIRANHA-2/TopClose.png

It would be cool to make a water proof coil for the garden like this. Pretty easy to do since all the electronics is enclosed and low (no) maintenance is required. The electronics does not burn off much heat (~50W) so it could be totally sealed if the runs where not extremely long. The fan would still blow across the IGBTs and resistors just to keep them near ambient. The exposed secondary could be all coated with marine or some other water proof non-conductive varnish... Probably would not work good in rain or snow ;-)) It is loud for the neighbors though. The electronics are pretty "quiet" electrically and if you just put streamer to the air the RFI might not be too bad at all. Complications of outdoor GFI wiring is left to the reader :o))

It is very odd not worrying at all about the electronics part of the coil. The PIRANHA engine is just anther "part" like the power cord. Just have to worry about shoving it in the box... Having the primary beneath the top cover also removes a lot of the electrical hazard since the almost directly MOT driven primary is more than lethal!! Also, the primary does not have to be "pretty" since nobody sees it, so it is much easier to make ;-) Probably just plop it on under the cover with epoxy. The peak voltage is ~8kV so no big deal... Lot and lots of new ideas now *:-))

Can't wait to see what innovations you have in store for the power cord
;-)

Wireless energy transmission of course >:O))) I was thinking if I were going to go for the full medieval gothic thing the cord could be covered in hemp or something to make it look like an old rope. But I pulled back on that since the top load was not medieval at all and the hand made iron stuff was pretty pricey. The dragons can be changed out easily with brass balls from McMaster if the gothic thing does not fit the situation. I got a big dragon (nice sharp wings and head) for the very top that could be elevated as a top breakout though. Modern Lead Free pewter is just bulk lead free solder ingot from all I can tell, but I don't think it will melt or anything. I am not sure where to put the ground stud yet... I want to avoid the outside oak box so that could be an independent part that could be removed for service. Just four sticks could be used in place of the box to run the coil "open" for showing off or fiddling. Also not sure what to make the top plate of the box out of yet. Lexan, G-10, wood, etc... Wood is cheap, but probably have to go with much more expensive plastics to contain the primary voltage for safety (NOT that this coil is "safe" by any means!!)

Cheers,

        Terry



Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> 3/8 Brass tubing will interconnect the balls and provide
> support.  The main tubes on the "X" will be 3/8 inch and the balls
> will have 3/8 inch ID tubing inserted into them.  Thus, the balls
> will ba able to slide in and out in a telescoping fashion.  The far
> end of the tube inside the ball will be epoxied in place.  It is
> fairly critical to get the tube aligned properly.  One could tune the
> coil by sliding the balls in and out.