Re: [TCML] Flashover Follow

[Steve Ward <steve.ward@xxxxxxxxx>]

Gary,

I disagree with your disagreement ;-)

I think bang rate can matter for voltage stress on the secondary coil.  But
its a secondary effect...  The issue as far as i can tell is that low bang
rates allow a longer time for the air to cool down in the streamer channel,
which tends to allow the secondary voltage to peak higher than it would at
higher BPS, where a hot streamer channel tends to load down the top voltage
considerably more.  With all my experience with solid state coils (which
have very repeatable bang energy when desired), its the *lowest* pulse rates
that often cause the worst problems with secondary to primary flash-over.
But, it seems to require pulse rates lower than 100hz or so, at which point
the streamers take on a different appearance as well (more "fluttery").

Now, i have never experienced "racing" sparks on a solid state coil, so
really my argument is only somewhat related by the observation that lower
pulse rates appeared to put higher voltage stress on the secondary coil.
Its a lot of speculation, but i figured it was worth chiming in on the
subject with my experiences.

Steve

On Tue, Dec 7, 2010 at 8:25 AM, Gary Lau <glau1024@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I think I disagree on a couple of points.  I don't think that bang *rate*
> affects the tendency to generate racing sparks, unless changing the rate
> also affects the bang *size*.  Its truly the bang size that matters.
>
> In addition to the obvious method of raising the secondary to reduce
> coupling, I've also found it effective to raise the top load relative to
> the
> top of the secondary.  This may require the installation of a second,
> smaller toroid at the top of the secondary, to inhibit corona.
>
> I think that increasing the top load size will also reduce the likelihood
> of
> generating racing sparks, as the top load voltage will be reduced with
> higher values of top load capacitance.  But one can't simply change the top
> load size without changing other things as well that will also impact
> racing
> sparks, so it's difficult to generalize.
>
> Regards, Gary Lau
> MA, USA
>
>
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