Re: TC efficiency, was Math help...

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <FutureT-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 7/16/01 9:48:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes:

> The unit of one foot of spark length is a fixed amount that
>  can be used as a quantity of energy and can be used to find efficiency.
>  Forget about the spark characteristics in air.

John,

Hmmm,  I can't understand your statement.... isn't the spark 
occuring in air?  In any case the relationship is not linear.  A spark
that is twice as long requires more than double the power.  It's
somewhere around a squared relationship, so it's more like 4 times
the power for double the spark length.  Perhaps for controlled
sparks the relationship is different?  I've never used controlled
sparks.  Maybe others will have something to say about the
relationship for controlled sparks.  

>  
>  Note that your or anyone else's spark length equation is not an energy
>  equation so cannot be used to determine efficiency. 

I never said or implied that it did, did I?  I always put efficiency in
quotes, meaning it's not a real measure of true efficiency.  

>  I agree the random spark length is not a scientific or engineering method
>  for finding the efficiency of the Tesla coil. The controlled spark makes
>  more sense and should should be used. How do you measure the efficiency of
>  your coils?

I don't measure the true efficiency of my coils, I've left that to others
for the moment.  I've only gotten as far as a rough estimate.

John Freau

>  
>  
>  John Couture
>