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Re: 50%



At 05:25 AM 10/29/96 +0000, you wrote:
>From hullr-at-whitlock-dot-comMon Oct 28 21:48:14 1996
>Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 12:43:40 -0800
>From: Richard Hull <hullr-at-whitlock-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: 50%
>
>All,
>
>In theory,  We should never be more than 50% efficient in energy transfer 
>from one capacitor to another!  i.e. the Cprimary to the Csecondary 
>Usually the resonator load capacitance plus Ion cloud loading.  This 
>assumes 100% coupling and zero other losses!  If fact, we are much lower 
>than that with the finest system in operation.
>
>50% of the capacitively stored energy always disappears in circuit loses 
>(resistive and magnetic) even with direct wired connections.  There is a 
>lot of additional wasteful garbage going on in between the primary and 
>secondary capacitors.
>
>Richard Hull, TCBOR
>
---------------------------------------

Richard -

I believe the 50% you refer to is for the 50% maximum current or power at
critical coupling. Power transformers with iron cores can be up to 98%
overall energy efficient (coupling is almost 100%). Air core transformers
are much lower in efficiency. Tesla coil transformars appear to be about 10%
for large coils to 80% for small coils overall energy efficient (coupling is
usually less than 50%). Note that all energy losses are resistive and not
reactive.

The watts (seconds) necessary to produce a foot of spark is a good way to
measure this energy efficiency because most coilers measure the watts and
spark length and there is a lot of good data available. The spark length,
however, should be a controlled spark length, not the usual streamer.  

The only Tesla coil efficiency graph that I know of is the one in my Tesla
Coil Notebook. This graph is based on the Watts per Foot of Spark concept
that I posted Oct 9, 96 under 'Power and Efficiency'. All this information
is shown in the JHCTES computer printouts in the TCC Guide. 

Except for this graph I have not seen any Tesla coil data with CACULATIONS
from coilers who measure their coils for energy efficiency. I show in the
TCC Guide how I measured one of my coils at 56% efficiency. The smaller coil
I also show in this book would be more efficient.

It should be noted that my graph is based on very limited data. I would
appreciate receiving data of this type from other coilers. I would change
the graph if this data indicated something different.

Jack Couture
10823 New Salem Point
San Diego, CA 92126