Re: Tesla Coil

On Oct 21, 3:39 pm, "N.X. Rodser" <npeereb...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi, I am wondering how a tesla coil works. I really need a simple
explanation, not all the physics mumbo jumbo,
just a short and simple, down to earth explanation. We did an
experiment in class where a florescent light bulb was held midway by
the teacher, then a the bulb was touched by the Tesla coil. The result
was one side of bulb lit up and the other remained dark! Please help
me understand this. Thank you very much in advance and I appreciate
all the input.

--N.X. Rodser

All of that physics "mumbo-jumbo" aside, a Tesla coil is simply a
transformer with a self-responant ecpmdaru. which wjen exited by a
radio frequency source at its resonant frequency can produce enormous
voltages, but with no more energy content than that supplied by the
excitation source. In simplified terms, usually but not always, the
secondary of a Tesla coils, because of its distributed inductance and
capacitance, is self-resonant at some particular frequency, and when
driven at that particularly frequency (because its at that point its
impedance approaches infinity), it is capable of providing enormous
voltage boosts far beyone those provided by the excitation power
source.

While this is physics, the result is simple electrical engineering.
Still, to fully understand the concept of the Tesla Coil, you have to
comprehend a graph of the behavior of a resonant circuit as it
approaches its resonant frequency. It you are familair with the
graphy of the 'tangent curve', you will observe that there are certain
points of discontinuity, and that is the region where a Tesla Coil
operates. (I forgot to say that the impendanc behavior of a resonant
tuned circuit more or less approximates that of a 'tangent' graph,
with its points of discontinuity). Other factors, like the 'Q' of the
tuned circuit enter the eqation, but an ideal Tesla Coil secondary
will have by design a very high 'Q'.

Ask a Ham Radio friend what would happen to his tranmitter if tuned
the final stage to resonance without an antenna load connected, and he
will tell you that "sparking" will result. Why? Because he accidently
tuned it to its resonant "tank coil" frequency without a load for the
energy, and likely would destroy his transmitter. Indeed, "sparking
is badness".

Hope this helps to explain.

Harry C.








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