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Re: Tesla coil polarity?
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To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
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Subject: Re: Tesla coil polarity?
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From: Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>
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Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 09:49:01 -0600
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Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
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Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme
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In-Reply-To: <a8.462cb9b.263c32f8-at-aol-dot-com>
Hi Matt,
The output of all Tesla coils is AC. All coils that us spark gaps are
really just discharging the DC charge on the capacitor. So a single shot
coil is not too much different than a NST coil. A single shot coil
probably always charges the cap to the same polarity before firing where a
NST coil charges the cap negative and fires, then positive and fires, then
negative again... BUT at the moment the gap fires, the cap is basically
just a DC charge. A NST coil may fire the gap at 120 times per second but
the actual firing event may only last 1/10000th of a second. So NST coils
really are just pulse coils driven say 120 times per second.
The AC output of a Tesla coil is much the same mechanism as letting a
child's swing go. One may pull the swing in only one direction before
letting it go (DC), but it will swing back and forth (AC).
CW coils like tube coils or FET coils are true AC drive in that they drive
the primary coil continuously from a sinewave at the coil's frequency.
Cheers,
Terry
At 08:43 AM 04/29/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>Is the output from a dc powered coil still ac or does it change to dc?
>
>
>Matt
>