Re: [TCML] Sudden and unexplained destructive racing spark flashovers

["Peter Terren" <pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sounds like a primary to secondary flashover rather than a racing spark.
The primary should never get to 30 kV above RF ground, ie won't spark 1 inch 
to the coil base although 10 turns up the secondary adds 5kV.  The problem 
is that a longish wire to RF earth will have a significant drop, so might 
develop 10kV across it.
So what was a safe 1.5 inches gap from primary to secondary might have 
become say 20kV plus 5kv plus 10kV. which will spark 1.25 inches. Get a few 
cosmic rays and occasionally it will jump this distance if all the voltages 
align.or if you have a primary strike.
... or it could have just been a spider as I think happened to me once - 
hiding in the black cloth I cover the primary with to prevent light spill 
from the gap.

Peter www.tesladownunder.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Rieben" <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi all,

Quetsion: Can anyone offer a plausible explanation for why an
otherwise perfectly tuned and running SG coil, that we verified
was quenching on the second notch consistantly and first notch
with ground stiking power arcs, will all of the sudden destructively
flash over with secondary/primary racing sparks? I witnessed DC's
Big Bruiser do exactly the same thing at the 2007 Cheesehead
Teslathon and it seems till this day, no one has been able to offer
a plausible explanation for why this happens. I seem to recall DC
citing something about the high humidity causing it but the thing
is, no one else's coil there suffered this same fate operating in
the same ambient atmosphereic conditions as the BB, (including
my Green Monster, at the time) . I sure would like to figure out
what's causing these anomylous flashovers so I can take the
proper future steps to prevent this from re-occuring. ;^/ Anyone?

David Rieben

_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla