Re: Safety Gap =

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

Original poster: robert & june heidlebaugh <rheidlebaugh-at-desertgate-dot-com> 

Comment , A safety gap is a wide gap. un-like a solid state gap the power is
removed as soon as the voltage drops below ionization potential not at "0"
volts. while a wire wound resistor will provide both resistance and
inductance it is not required because the inductance of the NST is sufficent
to isolate the coil from excess current, keep in mind this is for less than
a uSec of time. The wide gap spacing acts like a voltage regulator to stop
excess voltage on the NST and the capacitor as the system resonates. The
system spark gap is made to carry high current and the spacing is close so
when the gap fires the capacitor is discharged to near "0". No resistor is
required, but a 1K 100W resistor is a common choice. A 15T coil or a 5 ohm
is also sufficent for a safety. Picture a rotery spark gap. a rod is
approching a contact. the gap fires at about 1 Cm and the contact area
closes to 1mm or less ,voltage gose to "0". then the gap opens up to 5+ Cm.
In a copper pipe gap the space is about the same then the gap fires , The
individual gap series starts to conduct at about 1mm per gap over an area of
10 sq Cm and a resistance near '0". Then the voltage drops, the gap
deionizes, and the total gap distance returns to 10 cm deionized. The safety
gap distance remains about 20 Cm, since it is a single gap spacing not a
series of small gaps.
    Robert   H
-- 


 > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 06:04:40 -0700
 > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
 > Subject: Re: Safety Gap =
 > Resent-From: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
 > Resent-Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 06:12:10 -0700
 >
 > Original poster: "Christoph Bohr" <cb-at-luebke-lands.de>
 >
 > One more thought:
 >
 > Although I am pretty convinced about using safety gaps there is still one
 > point I am not completely sure about:
 > When the safety gap fires, the current will be much higher than the current
 > that normaly passes through L1, this can be unwanted stress on the cap as
 > well. I think I have read about people using resistors here. What size is
 > advisable, especially what power rating?
 > Wouldn't it be possible to build an inductive sulution....
 > I think about something like a small  TC-like device to use as a
 > energy-dumpster in the safety gap...
 >
 > Is this too strange or could this be done?
 >
 > regards
 >
 > Christoph Bohr
 >
 >