RE: [TCML] Tesla's topload

[Christopher Karr <chriskarr4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary,

I wouldn't say surface area so much correlates with effective capacitance, so much as I would say that capacitance is effectively correlated with surface area. The difference in the two statements being that, in mine, surface are does not necessarily translate to a higher capacitance, but the greater the surface area, neglecting shape, the greater the likelihood for greater capacitance.

Personally, when designing any sort of topload, I tend to imagine the electrical field within my mind. A ridge or a sharp point causes a long, thin bump in the electrical field, whereas the fields of shallow bumps tend to 'merge' together, electrically resembling a physically larger capacitor. A good example of this are the multi-ring toploads; individually, the rings are not nearly large enough to prevent breakout to potentials they will easily hold when together. 

At least, that's how I view it.

 - Christopher Karr

> Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2011 14:58:07 -0400
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Tesla's topload
> From: glau1024@xxxxxxxxx
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> 
> I'm not sure that surface area correlates with effective capacitance.  If it
> did, then a corrugated aluminum duct topload would have significantly higher
> capacitance than a smoothed-out one.
> 
> Regards, Gary Lau
> MA, USA
> 
> On Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 2:21 PM, Weinhold Shannon L <
> Shannon.L.Weinhold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > Tesla's topload bumps were a novel way of increasing the surface area of
> > an capacitive topload..allowing a smaller toroid to have the capacitance
> > of a larger one.
> > Tesla indicated the need for one of the bumps on the top of the toroid
> > to be slightly larger than the rest to allow the release of excessive
> > energy in a harmless fashion, and therefore "avoid a disastrous blow to
> > the framework supporting the electrode" (can't remember his exact
> > words...but something quite dramatic that warned of the dangers of a
> > random breakout of a streamer.)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Shannon Weinhold
> >
> > "Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter.
> > When they separate, man is no more."
> > ~Nikola Tesla
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Tim [mailto:timothy.wenzel@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> > Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 10:36 PM
> > To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [TCML] Tesla's topload
> >
> > I have been wondering lately...why does Tesla's patent 1119732 and other
> > designs show the topload with a surface covered in rounded bumps?  I
> > assume that this prevented breakout to some extent as he was intending
> > to create a corona effect according to the patents.  His intent was
> > wireless transmission of energy.  We design our coils for a light show.
> >
> > Has anyone ever tried to re-create the surface indicated by his designs?
> > If so, what was the effect as compared to the smooth toroid with and
> > without a single breakout point?
> >
> > T.J.Wenzel
> >
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