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Strike Rails: The Big Question
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From: Barton B. Anderson [SMTP:mopar-at-mn.uswest-dot-net]
Sent: Saturday, March 14, 1998 8:17 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Strike Rails: The Big Question
Jeff,
Tesla List wrote:
> ----------
> From: Jeff W. Parisse [SMTP:jparisse-at-teslacoil-dot-com]
> Sent: Saturday, March 14, 1998 10:31 AM
> To: Tesla List
> Subject: Strike Rails: The Big Question
>
> The ground wires are flown above the
> HV cables to "bleed up" the electrical field that would
> otherwise "bleed down" to ground interfering with
> communications, etc. In other words, the wires serve to
> shape and drain the em-field that propagates from the HV
> lines.
Interesting. We learn something new everyday.
> QUESTIONS: So why do so many use grounded strike rails
> above their primaries? Wouldn't a safety gap placed on
> the tank circuit serve to protect the primary components from
> the effects of a secondary strike to the primary coil?
Jeff, I am still new at this but in my mind (what little there may
be), the resonator will seek out ground. Regardless of the longer
sparks discussions of "does energy accumulate in the resonator" or
"does the air ionize creating a more conductive path", the only
thing preventing a strike to anywhere is the resistance between
point A and B vs. Vs and Es. Should the primary or lower secondary
look inviting due to the comparable potential to Vs, and should
"energy accumulate" or "an ionized path be formed" to break through
the resistive distance from point A to B, then seek and maybe strike
it will regardless of the safety gap on the tank. The gap is an
overvoltage transient tool, but a long strike appears independent of
the tank overvoltage transients.
> Doesn't
> a strike rail give a charged toroid a nice juicy grounded target
> to hunt for, thereby INCITING strikes in the proximity of the
> primary coil?
I would say yes. But not much more than the primary or lower
secondary, and wouldn't it be nicer if you guided the strike away
from harms way.
> Does a strike rail "drain, distort and weaken"
> the EM field created by the primary coil?
I would imagine that the EM field does change to some degree. If the
strike ring were placed inward to the lower secondary and primary,
it would probably even more so effect coupling. Most info I've seen
shows the strike ring a few inches above and to the outer portion of
the primary where probably little effect on coupling is effected (I
think). This would be interesting for someone to check out.
> I've never used a strike rail and have always given my coils
> a place to go (a grounded target) so as to avoid primary
> coil strikes. But, Big Red's gonna need a new primary coil
> and I was just mulling over this issue. Guys?...
>
> Jeff W. Parisse, Director
> kVA Effects
> www.teslacoil-dot-com
Barton B. Anderson