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54 lines
3.5 KiB
Plaintext
54 lines
3.5 KiB
Plaintext
TESLA COIL THEORY
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LINE VOLTAGE IS STEPPED UP BY THE HIGH-VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER TO A
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MAGNITUDE SUFFICIENT TO CHARGE THE CAPACITOR AND FORCE THE SPARK GAP TO
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BREAK DOWN. THIS ACTION IS REPEATED AT THE 60 HERTZ LINE FREQUENCY.
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EFFICIENT ENERGY TRANSFER IS ENHANCED BY CHOOSING A CAPACITOR WHOSE
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IMPEDANCE IS EQUAL TO THAT OF THE SECONDARY WINDING.
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ESSENTIALLY, THE CAPACITOR AND TESLA COIL PRIMARY FORM ONE PAIR OF
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TANK CIRCUTS: WHEN THE SPARK GAP ARCS, THE MOMENTARY SHORT CIRCUT
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CREATED DUMPS THE CAPACITOR'S CHARGE INTO THE COIL'S PRIMARY. THE
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RESULTING L-C CIRCUT RINGS AS THE CHARGE OSCILLATES BACK AND FORTH
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BETWEEN THE CAPACITOR AND THE COIL. THE OSCILLATIONS DECREASE IN
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AMPLITUDE AS THE CHARGE IS DISSIPATED BY RESISTANCE. THE RINGING
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GENERATES WHAT IS REFFERRED TO AS A "DAMPED WAVE". THE NEXT HALF-CYCLE
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OF 60-HZ RECHARGES THE CAPACITOR, STARTING THE PROCESS ANEW. A TRAIN OF
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HI-FREQUENCY WAVES, SPACED AT 60-HZ INTERVALS, IS THE PRODUCT.
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RESONANCE MUST BE ACHIEVED TO EFFECT RINGING: THIS DEMANDS THE
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CAPACITOR AND PRIMARY HAVE THE SAME REACTANCE:
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X(L) = X(C) THE CIRCUT RESISTANCE (CAPACITOR, COIL AND INTERMEDIATE
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WIRING) LIMITS THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF THE TANK CIRCUT. EFFICIENCY IS
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RATED IN TERMS OF "QUALITY FACTOR", REPRESENTED AS 'Q':
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Q = W(L)/R = X(C)/R
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INCREASING RESISTANCE REDUCES Q, THEREBY REDUCING EFFICIENCY. THE
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EFFECT IS MINIMIZED BY WINDING THE PRIMARY WITH A FEW TURNS OF HEAVY
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CONDUCTOR, WELL-SPACED, OVER A LARGE RADIUS FORM - THE LARGER THE
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BETTER. THE CAPACITOR SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION ALSO BEAR UPON Q: THE
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PHYSICAL SIZE AND AREA SHOULD BE MINIMIZED. THIS, HOWEVER, WORKS
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AGAINST LARGE CAPACITANCE VALUES AND DICTATES THE COIL BE WOUND WITH
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MORE TURNS. THE GOAL, THEN, IS TO ACHIEVE A WORKABLE RANGE OF COMPONENT
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SPECIFICATIONS RATHER THAN TO STRIVE FOR OVERLY CLOSE TOLERANCES. COILS
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OFTEN ARE WOUND WITH TAPPED PRIMARIES TO FACILITATE FINE TUNING.
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THE SECONDARY COIL IS SITUATED BOTH ELECTRICALLY AND PHYSICALLY WITHIN
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THE PRIMARY. THE SECONDARY AND ITS DISCHARGE ELECTRODE, GENERALLY A
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SPHERE OR TOROID, MAKE UP THE SECOND TUNED CIRCUT. THE WINDING SUPPLIES
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INDUCTANCE; THE CAPACITOR IS CREATED BY THE ELECTRODE AND THE (EARTH)
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GROUND-PLANE. AIR IS THE DIELECTRIC. MOST TESLA COILS EMPLOY
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SECONDARIES OF 1/4-WAVELENGTH AT THEIR OPERATING FREQUENCIES. THIS
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ESTABLISHES A CONFIGURATION WITH MAXIMUM CURRENT AT ZERO VOLTAGE WITH
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MINIMUM CURRENT AT THE ELECTRODE. THIS SITUATION PROVES TO BE
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BENEFICIAL, IN THAT IT ENHANCES COUPLING WITH THE HIGH CURRENT PRIMARY,
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AVOIDS ARCHING BETWEEN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AND GENERATES THE
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DESIRED HIGH VOLTAGE AT THE TOP END.
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THE "OUDIN COIL IS A 1/2-WAVE VARIATION ON THE TESLA COIL. IT
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POSSESSES THE ESSENTIAL TESLA COIL OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, BUT IT
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EMPLOYS A HORIZONTALLY PLACED SECONDARY WITH DISCHARGE ELECTRODES AT
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BOTH ENDS AND A PRIMARY AT THE CENTER. THE OUDIN PRIMARY SOMETIMES IS
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MERELY A PAIR OF TAPS ON THE SECONDARY (AN AUTOTRANSFORMER). THE 1/2-
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WAVE ARRANGEMENT AFFORDS A COIL WITH MAXIMUM DISCHARGE AT EACH END AND
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A VIRTUAL GROUND AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE WINDING(S).
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