Re: Tesla Coil Capacitors - Why build them?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "rheidlebaugh by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rheidlebaugh-at-zialink-dot-com>

Ben: a megawatt radar transmitter uses about the same current pulse as a TC
coil, but the current of the discharge is distributed across the pulse
forming network reducing the peak current of each capacitor in the network.
This increases the life of the capacitors. The cost of the pulse forming
network of even small pulse radar sustems is beyond the dreams of most TC
coilers. BUT the use of a PFN in place af a TC capacitor would be a good
experiment for some lab coiler with research $$$ to try. Home made PFN ???
75 capacitors at $2.60 x 3 banks = $585++ on the low end.
  Robert  H

> From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 22:25:02 -0600
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Tesla Coil Capacitors - Why build them?
> Resent-From: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Resent-Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 22:27:06 -0600
> 
> Original poster: "Ben McMillen by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <spoonman534-at-yahoo-dot-com>
> 
> 
> 
>>> 
>>> 1. Most cheap HV caps aren't always suitable for
>> coiling
>>> use..
>> 
>> Actually, the ones from High Energy are perfect for coil
>> use.
> 
> I'll keep that in mind.. SOMEDAY I'd like to get an
> 'assortment' to experiment with tuning and such.. ;)
> 
> 
>>> 3. Commercially available pulse caps have a big price
>> tag
>>> and a rather short life span.. shorter if you buy them
>>> used..
>> 
>> Disagree with you on both accounts.  Commercially
>> available caps from
>> vendors such as
>> NWL, Plastic Cap, High Energy are not too expensive . . .
>> equivalent to MMC
>> arrays.
>> And they really don't have too short of lifetimes.  We
>> use all kinds of
>> pulse caps in high power (>1Megawatt)
>> radar transmitters and they see much more abuse then any
>> tesla coil would
>> see.
>> 
> 
> That I did not know..  I thought that MMC lifespan was
> considerably longer than commercaial caps.. If it was
> affordable, it would make an interesting experiment to see
> which one would fail first..
> 
> Coiling in Pittsburgh
> Ben McMillen
> 
> 
>