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- Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501
- Sponsored by Vangard Sciences
- PO BOX 1031
- Mesquite, TX 75150
-
- August 28, 1990
- courtesy of the Tesla BBS at 719 486-2775
-
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- TESLA COIL THEORY
-
- LINE VOLTAGE IS STEPPED UP BY THE HIGH-VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO A
- MAGNITUDE SUFFICIENT TO CHARGE THE CAPACITOR AND FORCE THE SPARK GAP TO
- BREAK DOWN. THIS ACTION IS REPEATED AT THE 60 HERTZ LINE FREQUENCY.
- EFFICIENT ENERGY TRANSFER IS ENHANCED BY CHOOSING A CAPACITOR WHOSE
- IMPEDANCE IS EQUAL TO THAT OF THE SECONDARY WINDING.
-
- ESSENTIALLY, THE CAPACITOR AND TESLA COIL PRIMARY FORM ONE PAIR OF
- TANK CIRCUTS: WHEN THE SPARK GAP ARCS, THE MOMENTARY SHORT CIRCUT
- CREATED DUMPS THE CAPACITOR'S CHARGE INTO THE COIL'S PRIMARY. THE
- RESULTING L-C CIRCUT RINGS AS THE CHARGE OSCILLATES BACK AND FORTH
- BETWEEN THE CAPACITOR AND THE COIL. THE OSCILLATIONS DECREASE IN
- AMPLITUDE AS THE CHARGE IS DISSIPATED BY RESISTANCE. THE RINGING
- GENERATES WHAT IS REFFERRED TO AS A "DAMPED WAVE". THE NEXT HALF-CYCLE
- OF 60-HZ RECHARGES THE CAPACITOR, STARTING THE PROCESS ANEW. A TRAIN OF
- HI-FREQUENCY WAVES, SPACED AT 60-HZ INTERVALS, IS THE PRODUCT.
-
- RESONANCE MUST BE ACHIEVED TO EFFECT RINGING: THIS DEMANDS THE
- CAPACITOR AND PRIMARY HAVE THE SAME REACTANCE:
-
- X(L) = X(C) THE CIRCUT RESISTANCE (CAPACITOR, COIL AND INTERMEDIATE
- WIRING) LIMITS THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF THE TANK CIRCUT. EFFICIENCY IS
- RATED IN TERMS OF "QUALITY FACTOR", REPRESENTED AS 'Q':
-
- Q = W(L)/R = X(C)/R
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- INCREASING RESISTANCE REDUCES Q, THEREBY REDUCING EFFICIENCY. THE
- EFFECT IS MINIMIZED BY WINDING THE PRIMARY WITH A FEW TURNS OF HEAVY
- CONDUCTOR, WELL-SPACED, OVER A LARGE RADIUS FORM - THE LARGER THE
- BETTER. THE CAPACITOR SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION ALSO BEAR UPON Q: THE
- PHYSICAL SIZE AND AREA SHOULD BE MINIMIZED. THIS, HOWEVER, WORKS
- AGAINST LARGE CAPACITANCE VALUES AND DICTATES THE COIL BE WOUND WITH
- MORE TURNS. THE GOAL, THEN, IS TO ACHIEVE A WORKABLE RANGE OF COMPONENT
- SPECIFICATIONS RATHER THAN TO STRIVE FOR OVERLY CLOSE TOLERANCES. COILS
- OFTEN ARE WOUND WITH TAPPED PRIMARIES TO FACILITATE FINE TUNING.
-
- THE SECONDARY COIL IS SITUATED BOTH ELECTRICALLY AND PHYSICALLY WITHIN
- THE PRIMARY. THE SECONDARY AND ITS DISCHARGE ELECTRODE, GENERALLY A
- SPHERE OR TOROID, MAKE UP THE SECOND TUNED CIRCUT. THE WINDING SUPPLIES
- INDUCTANCE; THE CAPACITOR IS CREATED BY THE ELECTRODE AND THE (EARTH)
- GROUND-PLANE. AIR IS THE DIELECTRIC. MOST TESLA COILS EMPLOY
- SECONDARIES OF 1/4-WAVELENGTH AT THEIR OPERATING FREQUENCIES. THIS
- ESTABLISHES A CONFIGURATION WITH MAXIMUM CURRENT AT ZERO VOLTAGE WITH
- MINIMUM CURRENT AT THE ELECTRODE. THIS SITUATION PROVES TO BE
- BENEFICIAL, IN THAT IT ENHANCES COUPLING WITH THE HIGH CURRENT PRIMARY,
- AVOIDS ARCHING BETWEEN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AND GENERATES THE
- DESIRED HIGH VOLTAGE AT THE TOP END.
- Page 1
-
-
-
-
- THE "OUDIN COIL IS A 1/2-WAVE VARIATION ON THE TESLA COIL. IT
- POSSESSES THE ESSENTIAL TESLA COIL OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, BUT IT
- EMPLOYS A HORIZONTALLY PLACED SECONDARY WITH DISCHARGE ELECTRODES AT
- BOTH ENDS AND A PRIMARY AT THE CENTER. THE OUDIN PRIMARY SOMETIMES IS
- MERELY A PAIR OF TAPS ON THE SECONDARY (AN AUTOTRANSFORMER). THE 1/2-
- WAVE ARRANGEMENT AFFORDS A COIL WITH MAXIMUM DISCHARGE AT EACH END AND
- A VIRTUAL GROUND AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE WINDING(S).
-
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-
- If you have comments or other information relating to such topics as
- this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or send to the Vangard
- Sciences address as listed on the first page. Thank you for your
- consideration, interest and support.
-
- Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
- Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
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- If we can be of service, you may contact
- Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 484-3189
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