Re: [TCML] frailty of NSTs

[tesla <tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

.
> What is it about NSTs that makes them so fragile?  I suspect it is the 
> current through a secondary wound with
> inadequate wire size.
Hi

These beasts are frail for two main reasons

1) In normal operation the HV is "shorted" by the gas discharge tube when it 
strikes so that the terminal  voltage is at HV for a few fractions of a 
second. The internal insulation is thus not designed to cope with extended 
periods of HV

2) They are made with a magnetic shunt which produces large series O/P 
inductance to limit the current. In Tesla service this inductance can 
resonate with the Tesla primary cap and this series resonant cct exhibits 
resonanat rise. This could produce hundreds of kv but naturally the 
insulation fails prior to that

3) RF from the Tesla may contribute to the failure of the insulation due 
dielectiric heating I suspect

Best
Ted L in NZ 

_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla