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Re: [TCML] 4'-5' tesla coil sparks?
On 2/9/11 9:16 AM, jhowson4@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hello everyone,
I am constructing a Tesla coil for The Rochester museum and Science Center.
The goal is to have the coil mounted on the ceiling inside a Faraday cage with all the electronics mounted above the coils inside the ceiling.
Weight is supposedly not an issue.
I was wondering if anyone had a time tested design that would produce a ~4'-5' arc. Hopefully with a power supply consisting of a couple 15/60's or something comparable. Durability is more of a concern than price.
Sounds like a fun project. You're looking at using a big MMC or a
commercial cap from Maxwell, probably a rotary gap, and a small pole
transformer or potential transformer. That 2-3 kVA range is on the
ragged edge of being a good candidate for a static gap, I think. A
static gap works fine as a "fire it up in the driveway and tinker with
it" but it requires too much periodic fiddling for a permanent installation.
If cost is no object, then, there are companies that actually do this
for a business (Resonance Research, kVA Effects) and you could probably
be involved in the process of selection, procurement, and installation.
Now I'm going to rain on your parade a bit...
Are you an employee of the museum? i.e. if something goes horribly
wrong, who gets sued? If you're an employee, the museum does. If
you're a volunteer, it's a bit more uncertain. If you're a vendor, then
it's YOU. I can say, from personal experience, that getting liability
insurance for a one-off tesla coil design/installation is prohibitively
expensive.
Upside down is no problem, but you'd want to check on mechanical
supports. Do they have someone to do the mechanical design, or are you
doing it? What about safety cables if something comes loose? Or, maybe,
the Faraday cage will provide sufficient backup containment. Do you
have someone to review and cross check your design and construction?
What about electrical and building codes? They may have neglected to
mention that aspect, but if you need to be "code-compliant" you need to
figure out which codes, etc. Maybe you're technically "temporary
theatrical equipment" or something like that? What sort of rigging
experience do you (or someone who can work with you) have?
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