Re: visible and audible feedback from HV transformer sparks

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <A123X-at-aol-dot-com>

I think the second "spark" your describing(the fuzzy one) is an arc which is a
continuous flow of current through a gas. 

Mark 


In a message dated 3/24/02 5:14:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
writes: 


>
> Hello all, 
>
>
>    I am slowly throwing together all the components for a low power (200-300 
> VA) desktop tesla coil. I have different ways of generating power in this 
> range. When I am drawing a spark (.150-.250 length), depending on what 
> transformer I am using and how I am powering it, I get two different types of
>
> sparks, to wit: 
>
> 1) a very bright white (actinic) spark which appears crisp and sharply
> crackles 
>
>
> 2) a fuzzy appearing, much less bright, slightly colored, and fuzzy sounding 
> spark 
>
>
> The "fuzzy" spark will initially jump the same gap to start that the "sharp" 
> spark will. However I can then "draw out" the fuzzy spark longer than the
> sharp 
> spark. I have no way to check this, but I am guessing that the fuzzy spark
> has 
> it's current out of phase with its voltage and never really turns off because
>
> of the ionized pathway. Accordingly, I also assume that the actinic spark has
>
> it's voltage and current in phase. 
>    Are these assumptions correct? What if anything can be inferred by viewing
>
> the physical characteristics of 10,000 to 20,000 volt sparks? Also, I assume 
> that the resonant primary tank circuit will function best when fed power with
>
> it's voltage and current in phase. Comments please? Thank you. 
>
>
> Regards, 
> Al Erpel 
>
>