Re: [TCML] Racing arcs and primary resonances

[Paul Nicholson <tcml88@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

John wrote:
> the hot gaps tended to ionize the air at a lower voltage. ...
> the firing voltage was greatly reduced...
> break-rate may have risen quite high.

> the gaps may have failed to de-ionize and may have been in a
> power-arc ...

Hopefully some 'scope observations of primary current will
reveal what is going on.

When the gap fires (normally) the primary resonator generates
a short pulse of HF and we expect to see these at the start
of each bang, and at each notch if the gap re-ignites, and
possibly at each zero-crossing of the primary current.

What we're looking for on the scope as the variac is turned
up is the appearance of extra HF at about the same time the
racing arcs appear, perhaps appearing as a burst somewhere on
each RF cycle.

If the gap is in a 'power arc', so that it is on most of
the time, the circuit configuration is identical to that
of a Poulsen arc converter.    These were used at frequencies
up to 100kHz - we are looking for something around 10 times
that, so maybe that's a problem.    Does the arc fail to
oscillate above that frequency?   Or maybe it does but not
so efficiently.   We will have to see.

--
Paul Nicholson
--
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