Re: TC Spark Energy

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

Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance-at-jvlnet-dot-com> 


If you use a small 10-12 sphere as the ground terminal in this single shot
experiment, the streamer length is quite consistent.  Don't use a sharp
pointed terminal.

This procedure is best constructed with a big diode and a 5-10 meg resistor
string in series with the power xmfr output.

Dr. Resonance

 >
 >  > The problem with trying to assign a shot energy to streamer length in
 >  > repetitive operation is that it doesn't work because while the energy
 >  > is largely the same for each shot, the streamer length varies
 >  > considerably. Consider that for the first shot or two of a run, the
 >  > streamer length is minimal whereas a second or two later, you might
 >  > have sparks stretching a number of feet, all with the same primary
 >  > energy or close to it. Hot air assistance.
 >
 > It can't be all hot air assistance.  In fact, I wonder if it really has
 > anything at all to do with streamer length.  On my coils, the streamer
takes
 > a different path on each shot.  If hot air had anything to do with it,
then
 > I would expect the streamer to find a single path and build up in one spot
 > only.
 >
 > It seems that as electrons pierce the atmosphere they fill in all the
 > positive ions in a given path.  On the next shot, they need to find a
 > different path (even if only slightly different) because the positive ions
 > in the previous path had been mostly filled.  If this theory is true, then
a
 > ground rod does not supply negative ions to a circuit, but rather draws
them
 > into the earth.  The ground connection should have a more positive
 > electrostatic potential at its highest point with respect to the Earth
 > ground plane.
 >
 > One way to test this is to run a Tesla coil and measure the streamer
 > lengths.  Then run a negative ion generator in the vicinity of the coil
for
 > some time before turning it on again.  If the streamers are shorter after
 > running the negative ion generator (or longer after running a positive ion
 > generator) then we would know the ion count of the atmosphere is a
 > significant factor.
 >
 > Likewise, if hot air assistance is a factor, there should be longer
 > streamers in hotter ambient air than in colder ambient air.
 >
 > Dave
 >
 >
 >