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RE: just wondering



Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz> 

Hi Dave, all,

On 4 May 2004, at 12:58, Tesla list wrote:

 > Original poster: "David Thomson" <dwt-at-volantis-dot-org>
 >
 > Hi Mike,
 >
 > I did some research with flat spiral coils while replicating Tesla's
 > work with his Wardencliffe project.
 > http://www.tesla-coil-builder-dot-com/FlatSpiralSecondary.htm
 >
 > In particular, I did experiments with combination flat spiral and
 > solenoid secondaries.
 > http://www.tesla-coil-builder-dot-com/tesla_magnifier_1.htm
 >
 > I found that changing the geometry of the coil changes the properties
 > of the charge.  A solenoid coil will produce higher potentials and is
 > good for developing electrostatic charge.  A flat spiral coil will
 > develop higher current and magnetic field and is good for developing
 > electromagnetic charge.
 >
 > Since most Tesla coil builders are only interested in the long sparks,
 > a pure solenoid coil is the only way to go.  However, if like Tesla
 > you were interested in generating powerful electromagnetic pulses, you
 > would use the flat spiral coil.  The Wardencliffe tower was a
 > combination of the two types of coils in the secondary and was coupled
 > with a solenoid or conical primary.  The top capacitance of Tesla's
 > system was designed such that the entire electrostatic charge would
 > just reach maximum before breakout, and then the full charge would be
 > fed back down into the flat spiral portion of the secondary.  This
 > amplified the electromagnetic pulses that Tesla sent through the
 > Earth's negatively charged surface via the extensive ground system
 > Tesla built.  In effect, Wardencliffe was a huge sledgehammer where
 > the hammer was made from electrons.  By beating the Earth with this
 > sledgehammer Tesla was able to cause longitudinal ripples in the
 > Earth's negative charge.  When the ripples were strong enough to
 > encircle the planet and reflect back to the sledgehammer, the
 > sledgehammer would need progressively smaller blows to keep the
 > longitudinal waves at full resonance.  By coupling to the potential in
 > the nodes, Tesla had hoped to receive power at a distance.
 >
<snip>

Just a comment about the notion of needing small pushes to keep a
swing moving at high amplitude: by comparison with the energy storage
capacity of the earth I would have said that Wardenclyffe was a
tackhammer. In a system with small losses, the incremental pushes may
be small but the overall amplitude is high. You can see this
happening in Jimmy Hynes' DRSSTC coil where the primary current
increases during secondary ringup.

     The moment you start drawing power from the system, the small
push stuff goes out the window and suddenly the pushes have to match
energy lost by the consumed power. In this situation, you are now
dealing with travelling waves rather than stationary ones.

Malcolm