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Re: [TCML] 60/50Hz Tesla Coil? - Non disruptive



>I got wondering, wouldn't it be
>possible to design a Tesla Coil in which the secondary resonated at (or
>near) 60/50Hz? The primary coil could be plugged directed into the wall with
>no need for any driving circuitry, save for maybe a reactor to limit the
>current.

Yes anything is possible - but the ENTIRE point of a Tesla coil is the use of a term called DISRUPTIVE DISCHARGE. This is term that Tesla himself used quite often. this term is largely left out of the description of Tesla coils - but not usually forgotten by enthusiasts.

The main reason that Tesla coils work the way they do is because they store energy over a long period of time (eg. 1/50th of second) and then discharge it over a short period of time (eg. 1/30,000th of a second) through a spark gap or mechanical or electronic switching - hence the term DISRUPTIVE DISCHARGE - the frequency is really irrelevant - except for the fact that Tesla coils are usually designed to be of practical sizes for the backyard scientist to be able to build and/or afford.

Some of the benefits of storing energy over a long period and discharging it over a short period of time is the ability to harness the effects of massive peak currents (and the resultant magnetic fields that help to couple the primary and secondary together over large distances) and the massive peak energy levels which result in large streamers becoming visible. - this can result in peak powers of several MEGAWATTS

now the mains is often not capable of providing thousands or even hundreds of amps - and even more so especially when the voltage is stepped up through a transformer this becomes practically impossible unless you own a power station.

Hence this is one reason we use capacitors.....
the reason we don't use 50 hz is because of physical size restraints and budgets. but basically IT WOULDN'T MATTER WHAT FREQUENCY THE MAINS WAS - we would NEVER PLUG A TESLA COIL DIRECTLY INTO THE MAINS - because we would lose the defining features of a Tesla coil. Even if we tuned it to 50 hz, it would only resonate at this frequency and would still not function as a disruptive discharge coil displaying the effects we associate with Tesla coils.

stephen

Greg Morris wrote:
So I just built my first solid state coil this year, and in thinking about
the nature of primary circuit driving, I got wondering, wouldn't it be
possible to design a Tesla Coil in which the secondary resonated at (or
near) 60/50Hz? The primary coil could be plugged directed into the wall with
no need for any driving circuitry, save for maybe a reactor to limit the
current.

Thoughts? Has anyone tried this?

Cheers!
Greg


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