RE: [TCML] Which Primary Circuit is Best?

["Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>]

My take is - agreed, a configuration with the cap, gap, HV xfmr, and primary coil all in parallal won't work under any circumstances.

The circuit illustrating a single (half-wave) diode in series with the xfmr seems a bit odd, as it would be better to full-wave rectify the output.

But I differ on the comparison between:
A) the gap in parallel with the xfmr, then a seriesed cap & primary in parallel with that, and
B) the cap in parallel with the xfmr, then a seriesed gap & primary in parallel with that.

Performance-wise, the two are equivalent.  However, it has been shown that A) results in less HF stress being directed at the xfmr.  The gap is shorted during the brief interval when the primary circuit rings during each bang, so the xfmr doesn't see the HF oscillations.  It may seem undesirable to place a short across the xfmr output, but it's a very tiny percentage of the time so the power lost is neglegable, and as the xfmr is current limited, no harm comes of it.

Power is not lost due to stray inductance, but minimizing wire length is always a good idea.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Christopher Karr
> Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 4:20 PM
> To: Tesla Pupman List
> Subject: RE: [TCML] Which Primary Circuit is Best?
> 
> 
> Hello Brandon,
> 
> There are certain circumstances under which different circuit configurations won't
> work; you are correct in that respect.
> 
> If the primary coil is in parallel with the capacitor and the spark gap, you will have,
> effectively, no output when obeying the laws of physics. The capacitor won't charge
> because it is directly shorted across the tank transformer and the primary coil.
> Current will flow directly through the primary coil, effectively avoiding the capacitor
> since it represents a much larger load.
> 
> On the first link you specified, using a diode in that application is a foolish idea. The
> diode will make you lose all 50/60Hz resonance.
> 
> As for the latter two configurations, the list (as well as many independent coilers)
> has been debating this for years, though the general consensus is to do whatever
> allows one to use shorter primary leads, so as to minimize power-loss due to stray
> inductance.
> 
> Best of luck,
>  - Christopher Karr
> 
> > From: brandonhendershot@xxxxxxxxx
> > To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:19:39 -0600
> > Subject: [TCML] Which Primary Circuit is Best?
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > So I've seen a lot of different ways to wire the primary circuit, and
> > I'm just wondering if any of them won't work under any certain
> > circumstances or if there are differences in performance.
> > The first is where the spark gap is in parallel with the transformer
> > and then the capacitor is parallel with that, then the primary coil.
> > So everything is in parallel here.
> >
> > The next us where the capacitor is parallel with the transformer and
> > the spark gap is in series along one if the sides, and then the
> > primary coil. http://www.pocketmagic.net/wp-
> content/uploads/2009/01/tesla_coil_cc.png
> >
> > The last is where the spark gap is parallel with the transformer and
> > the capacitor is in series on one of the sides, and of course the
> > primary.
> > http://deepfriedneon.com/graphics/coil_schematic.gif
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Brandon in AZ
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> > http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
> 
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