Re: [TCML] 5.25" SRSG tesla coil suggestions on improving performance

[Jon Danniken <danniken@xxxxx>]

On 08/06/2013 09:54 AM, JJ Dasher wrote:
> The rotating electrodes actually stay quite cool and don't melt the
> acrylic.  The fan did help with the stationary ones.  I'm probably
> running too much current causing them to overheat, but does that
> explain the poor performance?

Stationary electrodes benefit greatly by a large heat sink.   I
originally had 1/8" tungsten stationary electrodes, and I noticed a
quick dropoff in coil performance after a few seconds of operation.

I ended up increasing the size of my stationary electrodes to 3/8", and
running them through a block of aluminum to sink the heat.

They still get warm compared to the flying electrodes, but I can touch
them without discomfort after everything is shut down, and I no longer
see the performance decrease which I attributed to the electrodes
getting too hot.

As far as your breaker blowing, you need a ballast on the MOTs.  I
measured a short-circuit primary draw of 30A @ 110VAC on a single MOT
which still had it's shunts intact.  While you won't be pulling a
short-circuit load for the duration of each input cycle, you are pulling
enough of an overcurrent for your breaker to trip after enough cycles
take place (modern breakers are designed to handle overcurrent
situations, to allow motors to start for example, but there are limits
to how much they will take before they trip).

Jon
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