Re: Safety gaps destroyed my Neon ?

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Safety gaps destroyed my Neon ?
• From: "Robert W. Stephens" <rwstephens-at-hurontario-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 12:54:35 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Original Poster: "Vivian Watts" <V.C.Watts-at-btinternet-dot-com>
> 
> Hi All,
>     It has occurred to me that my safety gaps may have destroyed my Neon
> because they DID fire.  I had two 5KV Neons in anti-phase with a common
> ground (I couldn't remove the ground).  I had two safety gaps, one from each
> HV leg to ground.  Also a further safety gap across my rotary - which did
> not fire.  My thoughts are, that say at a peak the Neons where producing +/-
> 5KV i.e. 10KV to the tank circuit.  With a bit of rise the voltage became
> say 15KV thats 7.5KV with respect to ground.  Now if ONE of the safety gaps
> fires to ground thus shorting one Neon, the tank capacitor at 15KV presents
> its full voltage across the second Neon (until that safety gap fires) and so
> may have destroyed it.  The solution I think, should have been, not to have
> centre grounded safety gaps with a centre grounded Neon set-up.
> 
> Thoughts anyone.
> 
> regards
> 
> Viv Watts (UK)

Viv,

I have been arguing against using a grounded center tapped NST safety
gap for years because I feel this is asking for trouble as you pointed
out. You just cannot guarantee that both gaps will light simultaneously
to stop the voltage surge with such a gap system.  One half going into
the conductive state might well reduce the overall surge sufficiently to
prevent the second from lighting at all.  At the same time, a healthy
surge then becomes directed to where it can do damage.  Just my opinion.

Robert W. Stephens

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