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Small Tesla coil power supply

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ZakWolf

Wed Mar 30 2011, 02:44AM

Registered Member #3114 Joined: Sat Aug 14 2010, 08:33AM
Location:
Posts: 608

I was thinking about going solid state. I used to think that the ZVS flyback driver schematic was going to be very hard to build but after I built it and messed with it for a bit I realized it was very simple in design and I hope this happens for SSTC too, except that they are not very simple. I would like to build a SSTC a little more than the SGTC, does anyone have a link to fairly easy circuit? Also how do the prices compare SSTC vs. SGTC? I found a 25$ NST for 12kv at 30ma, any good? I will be building everything on pc boards if it doesnâ€™t come with a kit or prefab. Boards

ZakWolf

Thu Mar 31 2011, 04:15PM

Registered Member #3114 Joined: Sat Aug 14 2010, 08:33AM
Location:
Posts: 608

I was looking at some High Frequency Solid State Tesla Coil circuits and they seem way to complex and I dont have the equipment to test and debug them :( I wil try messing around with my ZVS flyback driver for a solid state tesla coil driver, i tried it before and drew about 2 inch arcs for the top load that where like flyback arcs. After messing around with it for awhile it lead to somking fets.

Dr. ISOTOP

Thu Mar 31 2011, 05:15PM

Registered Member #2919 Joined: Fri Jun 11 2010, 06:30PM
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 652

There's this:

Nice and simple, and should be debuggable without a scope.
Steve Ward's Class-E coil is also nice, and cute too!

James

Thu Mar 31 2011, 06:14PM

Registered Member #3610 Joined: Thu Jan 13 2011, 03:29AM
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 506

LittleVenture wrote ...

A neon sign transformer for 10-25$, really? Don't NST's have to have a terry filter to protect them? Thanks, I will look around for a neon sign shop.

The most I ever paid for a NST was $20 and that was for a big 15kV 30mA one. Sign shops usually have piles of the things that come out of scrapped signs, they put brand new ones in the new signs they build. There was another guy here who had a pile of them but shipping is a killer unless they fit in a flat rate box. If you walk into a sign shop during a time they don't look too busy with a $20 bill and ask nicely and say you're building a Tesla coil, there's a good chance you'll walk out with an old transformer or two.

As for SSTCs, have you looked at Steve Ward's site? His SSTC-5 is very simple, I recently designed a PCB for it but have not yet had a chance to etch it and try it out. I can post it in case anyone wants to give it a go, but I make no guarantees.

James

Thu Mar 31 2011, 06:25PM

Registered Member #3610 Joined: Thu Jan 13 2011, 03:29AM
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 506

Apologies for the double post, I couldn't find a way to attach a file to my existing post. Here's a board created for Steve Ward's SSTC-5. You can open it with KiCAD

As stated, I have not tested this layout yet. I just whipped it up the other day so if anyone sees any obvious errors let me know and I'll fix it. I made the PCB to fit a salvaged heatsink I had on hand but it would be very easy to change that to suit.
]sstc-5.zip[/file]

ZakWolf

Thu Mar 31 2011, 10:25PM

Registered Member #3114 Joined: Sat Aug 14 2010, 08:33AM
Location:
Posts: 608

bwang wrote ...

There's this:

Nice and simple, and should be debuggable without a scope.
Steve Ward's Class-E coil is also nice, and cute too!

I was looking for something with a little better output. thanks though

ZakWolf

Thu Mar 31 2011, 10:39PM

Registered Member #3114 Joined: Sat Aug 14 2010, 08:33AM
Location:
Posts: 608

I have ExpressSCH and when i try to open the file it says it could not be found!?!? What about a ZVS flyback driver for a sstc driver.

James

Thu Mar 31 2011, 10:57PM

Registered Member #3610 Joined: Thu Jan 13 2011, 03:29AM
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 506

LittleVenture wrote ...

I have ExpressSCH and when i try to open the file it says it could not be found!?!? What about a ZVS flyback driver for a sstc driver.

That's because it wasn't created with ExpressSCH. I provided a link to the program that will open it, it's called KiCAD. Absolutely superb open source EDA. Blows away the hobby priced commercial offerings and is arguably as good as or superior to some very expensive professional packages.

A Mazzilli driver ought to work, as I recall, it was originally designed to drive a SSTC of some sort.

ZakWolf

Fri Apr 01 2011, 12:23AM

Registered Member #3114 Joined: Sat Aug 14 2010, 08:33AM
Location:
Posts: 608

the ZVS flyback driver justs looks so simple compared to other sstc circuits. I just need a low value tank capacitor to get close to the secondary s resonant frequency.

ZakWolf

Fri Apr 01 2011, 01:54AM

Registered Member #3114 Joined: Sat Aug 14 2010, 08:33AM
Location:
Posts: 608

when i click the link i go to the web site with all of the computer types and click on windows icon and then a page comes up with a lot of blue links ? what do i download ?

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