RE: Best cap size for a sync gap

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

Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-twfpowerelectronics-dot-com>

Hi Gary,

At 08:54 PM 4/29/2004, you wrote:
>Yes, the NST did indeed hum.  No problem though, when the secondary is
>hooked up and the streamers are flying, no one will ever hear the
>humming ;-)

Loud humming is a sign that the cores/shunts are going into 
saturation.  That allows far higher than expected output currents and would 
explain how you can charge a much larger cap than we would normally 
expect.  I am pretty sure that is what is happening here.  As long as the 
NST voltage does not go too high, it should work fine!!  NSTs can handle 
pretty high output currents for a short time (hours).  Current limiting may 
not longer be controlled by the shunts but rather by the core itself 
saturating.

The trick is to figure out how we can all run NSTs like this with all kinds 
of different brands of NSTs.  I am pretty sure that different NSTs will 
have all kinds of variations as to this effect.


>An "SLTR" system - I'll have to enter that into the lexicon of acronyms
>or abbreviations or whatever.  It's about time we came up with some new
>ones, the solid state guys were pulling ahead with all their new ones.

SLTR has actually been around a few years but little used.  Your coil 
actually started the term.  I was always afraid I would blow my few NSTs 
trying it.


>I'll put it on my to-do list to repeat the experiment at 120VAC, as soon
>as I find another round-tuit.  Who knows, I may even get around to
>hooking up the secondary and making sparks.

It should do very well.  Try to note if the NST seems to heat up very quickly.


>I do have an analog 2KW wattmeter (never used it though).  What was it
>you wanted to measure?

The "real" power input.  That will give us an idea of how much better the 
SLTR thing is running.  Sounds like power is increased about 30%.

Do you have other NSTs that this works for, or just one?  If we could 
figure out if many or any NSTs could be run like this, then maybe it would 
be one of those revolutionary advancements!!

Cheers,

         Terry


>Regards, Gary Lau
>MA, USA
>
> >Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-twfpowerelectronics-dot-com>
> >
> >The question I would have is did the tranny "hum" loudly indicating
>shunt
> >saturation???  If an NST's shunt go into saturation, all bets are off.
>In
> >your tests you make have gone into that black area where we know
> >zilch...  But a Saturating NST (SLTR) system should be able to charge
> >pretty big caps as your test suggest!!!!
> >
> >We know that if the shunts go into saturation, very odd and wonderful
> >things can go on.  But we know no details....  Maybe a cheap
>kill-a-watt
> >meter on the input would provide more crucial details for those of us
>that
> >try to get the computer models to match reality ;-)))
> >
> >I think your shunts are saturating and thus blowing the normal "old"
>models
> >out of the water.  But things seem stable an "happy" in your
>experiments
> >which suggests that such regions are reasonable to work at!!!  I am
>worried
> >that such regions my be very finicky depending on the brand and
> >characteristics of an exact type/brand of NST....
> >
> >Cheers,
> >
> >         Terry
>
>
>
> >Regards, Gary Lau
> >MA, USA