From: "Terrell W. Fritz"
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 15:27:50 -0600
Subject: [TSSP] Racing arc clues
Here are some comments from Gary on the other list. It looks like field
stress is a big factor. Interesting since that may have a great affect
with higher frequency modes where the leakage to the space capacitance
increases with frequency... BTW - I guess some of these folks are on the
list here too ;-)
I hope the top streamers are simple. Just the racing arcs look pretty
involved... However, racing arcs have destroyed a lot of nice coils so
very important stuff!!
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Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 15:35:07 -0500
From: "Lau, Gary"
To: "Tesla list"
Subject: RE: Racing arc clues...
Hi John:
I don't have the degree of experience that you have when it comes to
trying various top loads, but your theory about larger toroids promoting
racing sparks is not intuitive. While a larger toroid's ROC may permit
a higher breakout voltage, it's comparably larger Ctop will also reduce
the maximum attainable voltage. It's not clear which limit will
prevail.
I've also seen racing sparks originating at the secondary base near a
sharp point on the primary. High field stress points are clearly
involved. Not coincidentally, moving the secondary away from the
primary reduces the stress as well as the coupling. It couldn't be that
simple, could it?
And I've also seen racing sparks originating at some unremarkable but
consistent point anywhere on the secondary, presumably some defect that
generates a bit more corona than the rest of the surface, again
consistent with the high field stress theory.
Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA
Maintainer Paul Nicholson, paul@abelian.demon.co.uk.