TSSP: Test Coils

Some TC systems compared for their tuning and breakout characteristics.

Updated: 19 Jul 2008

The coils shown below are all tuned by their constructors to what they feel is the best tuning. We then model each setup in some detail, to examine the tuning of the coil, and to compare the available topload charge and field strengths with the observed breakout characteristics.

System Name mm3p jftt42a jftt42b mw1 ba0
Diagram
(not to scale)
Secondary Length (meas) 40.54" 18.75" 18.75" 47.0" 39.75"
Diameter (meas) 8.712" 4.2" 4.2" 9.9" 8.438"
Base height (meas) 14.0" 20.31" 20.31" 10.0" 28.938"
Turns (meas) 2989 1307 1307 980 1789
Ldc (calc) 383.5 mH 36.6 mH 36.6 mH 46.0 mH 131.4 mH
Ldc (meas) 36.7 mH (+0.3%) 36.7 mH (+0.3%) 131.1 mH (-0.2%)
Rdc (calc) 425.8 ohms 94.7 ohms 94.7 ohms 55.0 ohms 103.0 ohms
Rdc (meas) 99.8 ohms (-3.1%)
Primary Diameter (meas) 12.25"/34.75" 6.25"/12.5" 6.25"/12.5" 26.0" 11.1"/32.875"
Height (meas) 14.0" 19.685" 19.685" 10.0"/14.0" 28.75"
Tap/Turns (meas) 23.95/25 14.5/18.5 16.5/18.5 4/4 13.5/15.3
Lpri (calc) 356.6 uH 63.0 uH 81.3 uH 18.3 uH 102.1 uH
Lpri (meas) 58.2 uH 75.1 uH 102.0 uH
Input Firing voltage (meas) 33.9 kV 26.599 kV 26.599 kV 8 kV 22.3 kV
Cpri (meas) 52 nF 14.7 nF 14.7 nF 0.1 uF 65.39 nF
Bang energy (meas) 29.88 J 5.2 J 5.2 J 3.2 J 16.26 J
Topload Geometry (meas) Toroid
30.5"x6.5"
Toroid
13"x4"
Toroid
24"x6"
Spheroid
24"x10.5"
Toroid
30"x9"
Height (meas) 58.54" 42.661" 42.661" 63" 77"
Specific gradient (calc) 0.052 V/cm/V 0.100 V/cm/V 0.068 V/cm/V 0.056 V/cm/V 0.044 V/cm/V
Resonator Cee (calc) 44.7 pF 17.6 pF 31.9 pF 33.5 pF 39.5 pF
MCTV (calc) 1156 kV 769 kV 571 kV 437 kV 907 kV
Surface field at MCTV (calc) 60.1 kV/cm 76.9 kV/cm 38.8 kV/cm 24.5 kV/cm 39.9 kV/cm
Tuning Fpri (calc) 37.0 kHz 165.4 kHz 145.6 kHz 117.7 kHz 61.6 kHz
Fpri (meas) 61.6 kHz (+0.0%)
Fsec (calc) 38.4 kHz 198.3 kHz 146.9 kHz 127.8 kHz 69.6 kHz
Fsec (meas) 196.0 kHz (-1.1%) 147.0 kHz (+0.1%) 69.7 kHz (+0.2%)
Primary offset (calc) -3.7% -16.6% -0.9% -7.9% -11.5%
Response Vtop (calc) 1011 kV 414 kV 517 kV 254 kV 601 kV
Surface field (calc) 52.6 kV/cm 41.4 kV/cm 35.2 kV/cm 14.2 kV/cm 26.4 kV/cm
Charge surplus 15.2 uC 2.1 uC 3.8 uC -4.7 uC 0.3 uC
Streamer-feet 30.5 feet 8.0 feet 10.0 feet   0.5 feet
Appendix Waveforms Animation Surface Gradients Modes Waveforms Animation Surface Gradients Modes Waveforms Animation Surface Gradients Modes Waveforms Animation Surface Gradients Modes Waveforms Animation Surface Gradients Modes
Breakout Streamers Multiple 80-90". Tuned so that the sparks barely break out, 2 or 3 simultaneous streamers, If tuned for a higher frequency, then there are more streamers, but they are all shorter. Seems to be right at the edge of breakout. There was only one streamer. None without breakout point. 1 or 2 streamers at a time.
Racing arcs Never seen racing arcs on this coil. Very close to creating racing sparks, but never appear. No racing sparks. Never. No racings arcs.
  Notes

Some terms and definitions:

MCTV: Maximum Conceivable Top Volts - based on the estimated bang size and the calculated energy storage capacitance of the resonator, and assuming perfect tuning and no losses.

Surface field: The highest E-field stress occuring on the surface of the topload.

Specific gradient: The surface field of the topload when at a potential of 1 volt.

Charge surplus: The excess charge in the topload, over and above that required to lift the potential to the point of breakout. This represents the surplus charge available to form streamers. A negative value is the amount of topload charge by which the system falls short of breakout.

Streamer-feet This is the average streamer length multiplied by the number of streamers, in other words the total combined length of all streamers. Calculated by assuming that all the surplus charge is transferred to streamers at 1pF per foot.

  Comments

This is very much a work in progress. Only the coil model BA0 is sufficiently qualified by measurement cross-checks to be relied upon, but there is a suggestion of a trend towards negative tunings, which is the expected behaviour. Hopefully the picture should become clearer as more measurements come in.


Maintainer Paul Nicholson, tssp0807@abelian.org.