Spark Gap Coil Modification
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014 1:17 pm
I recently joined the physics club at my university. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they have a tesla coil built already, but it was in need of modifications (non-ventilated spark gap collects ionized gas way too fast). I figured while we're replacing the spark gap, we might as well make it a solid state coil, which would require swapping out the transformer as well (it maxes out at 60hz).
I was shot down pretty immediately for suggesting we do this. It seems that nobody in the club really has much of a clue about how the thing works except for one guy, who insists that it would be too much work to modify the coil we have into a solid state coil, and that we're probably just going to built a second (smaller) solid state coil and just go with the spark gap replacement on the one we have.
I don't have the voltage of the coil on hand at the moment, but its a big coil. At least four feet. I just want to know if this guy is right, and that modifying it would be too hard, or if theres something else going on. I'm not super well versed in the differences between the two designs (other than knowing we'd need a better transformer and a pair of transistor where the spark gap is) so I don't know if rewiring/replacing components would be that difficult or if this other guy in the club doesn't know what he's talking about either.
Anyone have any advice?
I was shot down pretty immediately for suggesting we do this. It seems that nobody in the club really has much of a clue about how the thing works except for one guy, who insists that it would be too much work to modify the coil we have into a solid state coil, and that we're probably just going to built a second (smaller) solid state coil and just go with the spark gap replacement on the one we have.
I don't have the voltage of the coil on hand at the moment, but its a big coil. At least four feet. I just want to know if this guy is right, and that modifying it would be too hard, or if theres something else going on. I'm not super well versed in the differences between the two designs (other than knowing we'd need a better transformer and a pair of transistor where the spark gap is) so I don't know if rewiring/replacing components would be that difficult or if this other guy in the club doesn't know what he's talking about either.
Anyone have any advice?