Re: Rotary Sparkgap

To: tesla-at-grendel.objinc-dot-com
Subject: Re: Rotary Sparkgap
From: "Malcolm Watts" <MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 09:16:23 +1200
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Hi all,
       written was...

> With say 14,400 volts in at 500 ma how
> long does it take to fully charge a .025 mfd capacitor? 

By my calcs (using a transformer impedance based on V/I of about 
29kOhms) a time constant is about .75mS. You can pretty well IMO
consider the cap charged after 3 time constants (once again, the law 
of diminishing returns strikes). I reckon a charge time of about 2mS
would be optimum as opposed to 5mS. Reason - you almost double the
power input. You might do even better at a higher break rate. The
2 mS is the time BETWEEN gap conductions.

Justathought,
Malcolm