RE: [TCML] Safety question - switching off

["McCauley, Daniel H" <daniel.h.mccauley@xxxxxxxx>]

1.  Use a grounding stick (use current limiting resistors if there is
LOTs of energy in any capacitors as opposed to making a bang)
2.  If using an MMC, use bleeder resistors between series stacks (since
even if you discharge the outer ends, the inner caps could still hold a
charge)
3.  Use a multimeter

4.  For DRSSTCs, you should ALWAYS put your grounding target onto the
toroid when connecting power, and getting close to making adjustments.
This since
the DC power bus caps can hold a charge, and even if that portion isn't
turned on or plugged in, the coil can go off briefly if you plug just
the control driver
on.

BTW, ask me how i know this . . .  I got hit with a discharge from my
DRSSTC in the head once.  The DRSSTC had a failure, and i disconnected
all power from the unit.
I plugged in the control driver power for troubleshooting and noticed
the +15V rail was being pulled down.  I found one (of my parallel gate
driver) chips smoking hot,
and then i just removed the chip.  Well, now the short was off the +15V
bus, the +15V bus came back on, and whatever energy was left in the DC
bus capacitors created a nice
big arc which hit me in the forehead about 6 inches away.  

Yeah, i know.  Explains a lot, right?

Dan

 


-----Original Message-----
From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Stephen J. Hobley
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 1:04 PM
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: [TCML] Safety question - switching off

When you switch a coil off, how do you ensure that everything is
completely discharged before touching the components?
 
Steve
 
(As you can tell I'm getting really close to starting construction)
 
_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla