RE: Magnetic quenching.

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

Original poster: "Malcolm Watts" <m.j.watts-at-massey.ac.nz> 

Hi Dave,

On 11 Mar 2004, at 11:35, Tesla list wrote:

 > Original poster: "David Thomson" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>
 >
 > Hi Marco,
 >
 >  > Have you got any evidence that magnetic quenching rises the gap >
 >  threshold voltage? If yes, can you quantify it?
 >
 > No, I don't.  As I noted in my earlier post in this thread, I
 > presented a theoretical dimensional analysis of the magnetic
 > quenching.  I have a pretty nice test bench now, but I don't know how
 > I can measure the electrostatic potential of the gap terminals and
 > magnetic flux of a running system.  If there are engineers here who
 > have some ideas, I would be willing to entertain them.
 >
 >  > Can you post more information about your magnetic gap arragement?
 >
 > http://www.tesla-coil-builder-dot-com/images/sparkgapmagnetic01.jpg
 > You can see the magnetic spark gap I have been using up until now at
 > the above link.  There are three more magnets under the wood block.
 > The rods are thoriated tungsten ground flat at the gap.  There is a
 > noticeable change in coil operation (intensity of spark, louder
 > operating) when the magnets are used as opposed to when they are not
 > used.

That is not surprising if the magnetic field is indeed deflecting the
spark off course. The spark will now be lengthening and dissipating
more energy as a result.

Malcolm

 > As I mentioned in a previous post, I attribute most of the cool
 > running of the coil due to the secondary construction technique (Tesla
 > also used it for some coils after 1905.)  The magnetic gap itself is a
 > loose modernization of Tesla's magnetic spark gap.
 >
 > Dave
 >
 >
 >