Re: [TCML] Primary Grounding was [Control Cabinet ...]

["Phillip Slawinski" <pslawinski@xxxxxxxxx>]

Gary,

Perhaps it was not the primary strike that killed the capacitor.  It could
have just been coincidence that there was a strike to the primary.  Maybe
the Hipotronics cap was a ticking time bomb, we will probably never know.

My main point in starting this thread was to discuss whether or not
grounding the primary increases the chances that streamers will strike the
primary vs. having a primary where both ends are above ground potential.  To
me it seems like when you have a grounded strike rail, and a grounded
primary you're practically begging the streamers to hit in that area.

My experience with my 6" coil would seem to prove that having a grounded
primary does invite streamers to strike it more frequently.  There could
also be other factors that led to the primary being struck so frequently.
On the day in question it was very cold outside so David was running his
huge heater in his garage.  This heater was pointed in the general direction
of my coil.  This could have caused an updraft.  I noticed that throughout
the run the streamers were mostly reaching upward, unless they came down to
hit the primary.  It probably had enough potential to  hit the driveway, but
perhaps the updraft prevented this from happening.

-Phillip

On Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 10:22, Lau, Gary <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Phillip,
>
> I don't doubt that you saw a primary strike just prior to David's cap
> dying.  But I think it's not always easy to separate cause and effect.
>
> Conservation of energy will not allow the primary cap to be recharged by a
> streamer-strike to a higher voltage than before the gap fired.  So I don't
> think that's what killed the cap, although certainly possible that I missed
> something.
>
> Instead, let me propose this.  What if through RSG misfiring or some other
> conspiracy of events, the cap was able to charge to a higher-than-normal
> voltage.  When the gap did fire, it would be a bigger than normal bang,
> resulting in a longer secondary streamer, and able to strike something
> (primary) normally out of reach?  The over-charging of the cap as a result
> of gap miss-fire may be the cause of the cap's demise, rather than the
> primary strike.
>
> I don't know, just an arm-chair perspective.  Corrections, discussion, and
> alternate theories are very welcome!
>
> Regards, Gary Lau
> MA, USA
>
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