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TC Empirical Design




From: 	John H. Couture[SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
Sent: 	Saturday, December 13, 1997 5:11 PM
To: 	tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: 	TC Empirical Design


  From the comments that have been made on the Tesla List it appears that
empirical design is a confusing process. For example, it is not a
theoretical modeling process. It is a modeling process based on real world
data from actual coil building and testing by Tesla coilers.

  Most people are not familiar with empirical design because it is not
taught in schools. There are many reasons for this including the fact that
it is a very specialized subject (making fuse time/current curves,
automobile miles per gallon, TC watts per foot of spark, aircraft carriers,
etc.).

  All complex engineering projects must be designed empirically including
Tesla coil design. In brief, for TCs this is implemented by collecting test
data from real world coils, such as "input watts per foot of spark". If this
data covers a range from 10 watts to 10 000 watts it is possible to find an
equation by mathematical regression (standard engineering) that will give
the "input watts per foot of spark" for all values within this range and
even beyond. 

  This is modeling based on real world coils. Note that this is not an
optimizing process. It is a process for designing a typical TC system with a
high percentage of success. Optimizing is then a matter of adjustments which
can be later added to the empirical data to design better coils.

 The JHCTES TC computer program has been developed using empirical design.
This program leaves much to be desired. However, there are no other programs
like it available at present so comparisons cannot be made. This program
coordinates 46 TC parameters and automatically changes the appropiate
parameters to keep the system in tune when "what if" changes are made. The
JHCTES program is for classical coils only. No one has even attempted to
develop a program of this type for magnifiers, tubes, hybrids, etc.

  There is enough help available at present for designing and building a
classical TC that no one should end up with a coil that does not work when
first energized. The Tesla List has been the most influential in making this
possible.

  John Couture