Re: How long IS safe?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <davep-at-quik-dot-com>

Tesla list wrote:
 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
><jim-at-jlproduction-dot-com>

> I was just curious to know how long of a run is safe?

	I fear that is an unanswerable question.
	It depends on how far out of the specs things are
	being operated.  If everything is in spec, should
	run 'forever'.

> On my first run I never let it go for more than 20-30 seconds at
> the most but this made it hard to take any good pictures. I live
> in N.H. and yesterday inside the unheated garage it was only about
> 35 degrees or so. Even after a good 30 second run not one single
> component was even the slightest bit warm and actually was still
> ice cold!

	Depends, as above on whether everything is within spec.
	Insufficient info to say.  (metering helps, here).

	Short Term, electrical bits, notably transformers will handle
	excess power for varying periods of time, more or less
	inversely proportional to degree of overload.  NSTs
	are sort of self protecting, if the shunts are in.
	
> I figured that heat would be the big killer of components,

	It's one.  Varies with the amount of heat, and what other
	'threats' are involved in a given setup.  Many Transformers,
	routinely handle 2x and more power for 'a few minutes'.
	If designed for, for more.  

> but I could very well be wrong.

	Different classes of components have different risks.
	Semiconductors are Real Sensitive to overheat.

	Transformers will die from extended overheat, are at least
	as vulnerable to overvoltage (either normal voltage, or
	RF surges, hence: filtering).

	Caps (in many applications) are most typically killed by
	overvoltage, BUT in Tesla Coil work, where substantial
	power/current is being handled, the can be overheated. 

	best
	dwp