Re: [TCML] Newbie question - Where does all the energy go?

[Simon <elmontare@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Peter,

Im just an amateur coiler so take this with a grain of salt but,

I would try altering your toploads capacitance (major diameter) or increasing your capacitor banks capacitance to better match the static gap LTR of your transformer. I believe if  you get longer sparks by increasing the topload capacitance then it is a sign you need more capacitance in your bank. 

Simon

Im helping?

On Apr 19, 2012, at 8:25 PM, Peter Sutter <peter@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hello Coilers,
> 
> I finally finished my first coil and I am trying to produce some sparks. This seems not to work.
> 
> Initial powering up the coil produced some massive, noisy sparking between the primary and the bottom winding of the secondary, and some racing sparks. Coupling factor .138 according to Javatc.
> 
> Lifting the secondary coil by 20 mm fixed this problem, coupling factor is now .120 according to Javatc.
> 
> Powering up the coil with a breakout point on the toroid produces a very weak spark of about 25 cm (10 inches), with very little noise. The spark is lacking in energy, it is barely noticeable in the dark. However there seems to be a 'sweet spot' on the primary coil between  14 3/4 and 14 7/8 turns, where the weak spark reaches its maximum length and intensity. JavaTC suggests the tap at 15.08 Turns. There is no noticeable corona effect on the toroid. So the coil appears to be tuned. Very very rarely, the safety gap fires briefly.
> 
> It looks as if something is absorbing the energy, like e.g. a short circuit winding. After several minutes running, there is no noticeable warming of any of the components. The capacitors stay cool. The spark gap becomes about hand warm.
> 
> I used no metal fasteners, washers, nuts etc. in the construction of the coil, to avoid any possible short circuit windings, these are all plastic. There is a strike rail 6 cm above the primary, which has a 5 mm gap. The base of the coil is made up of plywood and acrylic plastic.
> 
> The transformer is a 12KV 30 ma NST, make F.A.R.T. The center of the secondary is on ground. This ground is not connected to the mains ground, but to RF ground. (1.2 m of 1 inch copper pipe in the ground, also connected to the center of the safety gap and the strike rail).
> 
> The primary is 1/2 inch copper tube as used in refrigeration.
> 
> The capacitors are homemade, three liquid paraffin filled tubes of approximately 60 nF each in series giving 18.1 nF in total.
> 
> The spark gap consists of 8 pieces of 1 inch round copper pipe, the segments are spaced .7 mm apart for a total spark gap length of .5 cm.
> 
> The secondary form is a piece of 160mm outside diameter high pressure water pipe as used by the shire, it is a white plastic, the windings are coated with polyurethane varnish.
> 
> The Top Load is a toroid, lesser diameter 10 cm, outer diameter 36 cm. It is made of Dryer Ducting, where the gaps between the 'fins' has been filled with wood filler. The resulting toroid was sanded and covered with Aluminium tape. This is the only part on the coil that could form a 'short circuit' winding.
> 
> What do I try next?
> 
> Many thanks for your hints and suggestions.
> 
> 
> Peter
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 
> Here are the details of the coil
> 
> J A V A T C version 12.5 - CONSOLIDATED OUTPUT
> Fri 20 Apr 2012 08:55:16 AM WST
> 
> Units = Centimeters
> Ambient Temp = 25°C
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Surrounding Inputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 254 = Ground Plane Radius
> 254 = Wall Radius
> 381 = Ceiling Height
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Secondary Coil Inputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Current Profile = G.PROFILE_LOADED
> 8.1 = Radius 1
> 8.1 = Radius 2
> 6 = Height 1
> 93.5 = Height 2
> 1750 = Turns
> 0.05 = Wire Diameter
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Primary Coil Inputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Round Primary Conductor
> 9 = Radius 1
> 37.678 = Radius 2
> 6.7 = Height 1
> 6.7 = Height 2
> 15.0541 = Turns
> 1.27 = Wire Diameter
> 0 = Ribbon Width
> 0 = Ribbon Thickness
> 0.0181 = Primary Cap (uF)
> 76.2 = Total Lead Length
> 0.508 = Lead Diameter
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Top Load Inputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Toroid #1: minor=10, major=36, height=103, topload
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Secondary Outputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 120.27 kHz = Secondary Resonant Frequency
> 90 deg° = Angle of Secondary
> 87.5 cm = Length of Winding
> 20 cm = Turns Per Unit
> 0 mm = Space Between Turns (edge to edge)
> 890.64 m = Length of Wire
> 5.4:1 = H/D Aspect Ratio
> 79.0925 Ohms = DC Resistance
> 55756 Ohms = Reactance at Resonance
> 1.555 kg = Weight of Wire
> 73.783 mH = Les-Effective Series Inductance
> 84.483 mH = Lee-Equivalent Energy Inductance
> 84.811 mH = Ldc-Low Frequency Inductance
> 23.734 pF = Ces-Effective Shunt Capacitance
> 20.728 pF = Cee-Equivalent Energy Capacitance
> 48.802 pF = Cdc-Low Frequency Capacitance
> 0.2024 mm = Skin Depth
> 12.677 pF = Topload Effective Capacitance
> 194.7943 Ohms = Effective AC Resistance
> 286 = Q
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Primary Outputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 120.27 kHz = Primary Resonant Frequency
> 0 % = Percent Detuned
> 0 deg° = Angle of Primary
> 2207.59 cm = Length of Wire
> 3.06 mOhms = DC Resistance
> 0.635 cm = Average spacing between turns (edge to edge)
> 0.24 cm = Proximity between coils
> 3.09 cm = Recommended minimum proximity between coils
> 96.345 µH = Ldc-Low Frequency Inductance
> 0.01809 µF = Cap size needed with Primary L (reference)
> 0.861 µH = Lead Length Inductance
> 390.991 µH = Lm-Mutual Inductance
> 0.137 k = Coupling Coefficient
> 0.136 k = Recommended Coupling Coefficient
> 7.3  = Number of half cycles for energy transfer at K
> 29.99 µs = Time for total energy transfer (ideal quench time)
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Transformer Inputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 240 [volts] = Transformer Rated Input Voltage
> 12000 [volts] = Transformer Rated Output Voltage
> 30 [mA] = Transformer Rated Output Current
> 50 [Hz] = Mains Frequency
> 240 [volts] = Transformer Applied Voltage
> 0 [amps] = Transformer Ballast Current
> 0 [ohms] = Measured Primary Resistance
> 0 [ohms] = Measured Secondary Resistance
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Transformer Outputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 360 [volt*amps] = Rated Transformer VA
> 400000 [ohms] = Transformer Impedence
> 12000 [rms volts] = Effective Output Voltage
> 1.5 [rms amps] = Effective Transformer Primary Current
> 0.03 [rms amps] = Effective Transformer Secondary Current
> 360 [volt*amps] = Effective Input VA
> 0.008 [uF] = Resonant Cap Size
> 0.0119 [uF] = Static gap LTR Cap Size
> 0.0207 [uF] = SRSG LTR Cap Size
> 20 [uF] = Power Factor Cap Size
> 16971 [peak volts] = Voltage Across Cap
> 42426 [peak volts] = Recommended Cap Voltage Rating
> 2.61 [joules] = Primary Cap Energy
> 233.1 [peak amps] = Primary Instantaneous Current
> 77.8 [cm] = Spark Length (JF equation using Resonance Research Corp. factors)
> 89.1 [peak amps] = Sec Base Current
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Static Spark Gap Inputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 8 = Number of Electrodes
> 2 [cm] = Electrode Diameter
> 0.5 [cm] = Total Gap Spacing
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Static Spark Gap Outputs:
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 0.071 [cm] = Gap Spacing Between Each Electrode
> 16971 [peak volts] = Charging Voltage
> 15271 [peak volts] = Arc Voltage
> 35899 [volts] = Voltage Gradient at Electrode
> 30542 [volts/cm] = Arc Voltage per unit
> 90 [%] = Percent Cp Charged When Gap Fires
> 39.276 [ms] = Time To Arc Voltage
> 25 [BPS] = Breaks Per Second
> 2.11 [joules] = Effective Cap Energy
> 451260 [peak volts] = Terminal Voltage
> 54 [power] = Energy Across Gap
> 63.9 [cm] = Static Gap Spark Length (using energy equation)
> 
> 
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