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Tesla coil primary power


 * Originally By: Dave Halliday
 * Originally To: Jonathan Luthje
 * Originally Re: Tesla coil primary power
 * Original Area: FIDOElectron
 * Forwarded by : Richard Quick

JL> Hi All,
  > I'm up to the "primary supply" of my tesla coil and i need (some
  > more :) advice ...

JL> I'm hoping to use a TV Flyback transformer to supply about 80,000V 
  > to the tesla primary coil (rather than use a more expensive
  > neon-transformer) ...

Whoops!  You have your mind focused on the voltage and are not looking
at the current.  You need a real minimum of 30 milliamps for any kind of
good discharge.  I am building one now based on several neon
transformers that will provide 150 Milliamps at 15,000 volts.  The
flyback units are pretty much electrostatic - very minimal current.

You must have both current and voltage.


JL>1) I want to run the Flyback directly from the mains (with a suitable
  >current limiting resistor, of course), could someone tell me the maximum
  >number of watts that the Flyback will dissipate
  >(uncooled) without "melting"??

Nope - the flyback is designed to run in a resonant circuit at about
15,000 cycles / second - you will totally hose it's efficiency running
it at 60 Hz

JL>3) I can use a Walton-Cockcroft Voltage Multiplier circuit to boost the
  >voltage  (instead of a flyback), so I can acheive much higher
  >through-currents. Is there any way that I can convert the DC-Out of the
  >multiplier to AC (to drive the primary coil), or is there already enough
  >ripple in the multiplier output to drive the coil??


With every stage in the C/W voltage doubler, you loose a *lot* of
current. You need current.  It takes raw power to produce nice arcs.

Dave Halliday

 ! Origin: Grey Matter * Seattle, WA * (206) 528-1941  (1:343/210.0)


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