RE: [TCML] Tank Capacitor

["Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>]

There once was a time when it was believed that in order to extract the maximum power from an NST, the cap should be mains-resonant.  Experience and measurement now shows this to be not true; a cap value that is larger than resonant is where the maximum power is drawn.  And perhaps more importantly, there is a hazard with using a mains-resonant cap.  Should the spark gap be set too widely, the cap will charge to successively higher and higher voltage with each mains half-cycle if the gap does not fire, until something, typically the NST insulation, breaks down.  Choosing a LTR cap value lowers the degree to which the cap will ring up on successive half-cycles.

There is NO situation where a mains-resonant cap is ideal.  Use a value between 1.5-2.0 times the mains-resonant value.

A sync RSG needs to use a larger cap value than a static gap because the sync break rate (120BPS) is lower than a static gap typically fires at.  It is basically not possible to get consistent 120BPS operation with a static gap.  Nothing to do with Q.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Andrew Robinson
> Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 6:33 PM
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [TCML] Tank Capacitor
> 
> Whats the difference between the static gap LTR Cap and a resonant cap?
> When do you use a resonant cap?
> 
> Should we use the resonant cap (0.0066uF) or the LTR static gap cap
> (0.0099uF) (12/30 NST on 60Hz)
> 
> Why is there a different cap value for a SRSG. Is this because the cap
> is designed to achieve max Q at the peak of each waveform whereas with a
> static gap your going for max usable Q.

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