[TCML] Why air-core?

[Brian]

Gary,

All of what you mentioned is true and I may add that Air cores are also used
at high frequencies to eliminate the loss due to hysteresis that would be
found in steel core material not just in tesla use. 

But yep everything you said is  true.


--Brian 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Lau [mailto:glau1024 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2011 9:17 PM
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: [TCML] Why air-core?

I was asked a fundamental question about Tesla coils recently.  I _think_ I
knew the answer, but I'd like to check.

A Tesla coils is strictly an air-core transformer.  I said that steel or
ferrite cores are not used because:
1) Core saturation would be likely
2) The conductive core would degrade the high voltage standoff capability
3) The coupling with a cored design would be too high

Did I get it right?

Thanks, Gary Lau
MA, USA