Re: Tesla Coil toroid Size

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Tesla Coil toroid Size
From: Bert Hickman <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 17:35:08 -0600
Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com

John H. Couture wrote:
> 
>
>   I think we lost track of the original intent of this post. Which was when
> the toroid is increased in size AND THE SPARK LENGTHENED what was the
> increase in the input energy? An increase in spark length means an increase
> in energy other things being unchanged.  -JHC

Increasing the toroid size appears to improve the EFFICIENCY with which
we TRANSFER electrical energy to streamers, up to the point where
initial breakout is prevented (too low a peak voltage versus ROC).
There's NO evidence for any build-up of electrical energy from
bang-to-bang in disruptive systems. Quite the contrary - those systems
most productive at producing long streamers are actually losing energy
"more efficiently" to streamers. The only carryover from previous
bang(s) appears to be thermal and perhaps residual
longer-lived/metastable ions.

-- Bert --