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Re: Tank Capacitance: what is the limit

Subject:  Re: Tank Capacitance: what is the limit
  Date:   Sun, 27 Apr 1997 14:41:34 -0400
  From:   "Thomas McGahee" <tom_mcgahee-at-sigmais-dot-com>
    To:   "Tesla List" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>

 
>   <<
>    You can. However, the more capacitance you add, the less primary
>   coil
>    you will have. The Q of the primary will depend more and more
>   heavily
>    on the quality of the conductor used to make it. Also, for the same
> 
>    cap voltage your gap losses will increase as the primary currents
>    become heavier (equivalent to losing Q). Also, the loading on the
>    transformer becomes heavier. To charge a larger cap quickly needs
>    less current limiting - something that is difficult to adjust with
>   a
>    neon.
> 
>    My 2 cents,
>    Malcolm
>     >>
> 
>   Malcolm,
> 
>   I agree.  As the capacitor gets larger, larger and more expensive
>   (higher
>   current rating) transfromers will be required.  As the capacitor
>   gets
>   larger,
>   the primary must get smaller to maintain resonance.  From my
>   experience,
>   small primaries are not very efficient.
> 
>   Ed Sonderman
> 
> Why not go with the larger cap with the same primary. maybe going with a
> different secondary and or toriod. Not assuming neons.
> --
> Kevin M. Conkey

While it is generally true that the primary is more than one turn of
wire,
as the secondary becomes LARGER in DIAMETER, it is often advantageous to
use larger capacitors and fewer turns in the primary. That is just what
Tesla did on many occasions. As you change one parameter, such as the
coil
diameter or the size of the tank capacitor, it is sometimes necessary to
break some of the rules that NORMALLY work quite well. Never be afraid
to
experiment to find out what ACTUALLY works best in THIS particular
setup.
The common wisdom is often all too common and not much wisdom. 

In reading Tesla's Colorado Springs Notes I am kept contantly chuckling
at
the way he did things that EVEN went against his OWN recommendations (of
just a page or two before!) You HAVE to experiment and improvise in this
business. What at first appears to be an absolutely minor change can
have
an absolutely major effect on overall circuit performance. I have
learned
not to just blindly accept what others say is the BEST way of doing
anything, but to experiment on my own and try and understand WHY some
things work and some things don't *in this particular case*.

Fr. Tom McGahee