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StormInABottle

Fri Jan 11 2013, 09:34AM

Registered Member #9252 Joined: Fri Jan 04 2013, 06:27AM
Location: Andromeda
Posts: 253

Yo. can you please list me all the types of tesla coils? i keep finding a new type everyday lol.

Also i know the SGTC is the easiest and the SSTC is the hardest
but i have been interested in VTTC

Cause i heard a mot can be great for that. and i will be doing a 3 mot 2 in use and 1 as a ballast at resonant with 4-6 mocs to power a SGTC but i heard i would get better performance with a VTTC but i got a few questions

Which one has a continious output? a SGTC makes long sparks. a SSTC could give a arc but 'd a VTTC give arcs or sparks?.
What about a VTTC also why is a VTTC sparks small and shaped like a dagger or a sword. also the sgtc and sstc i see are sometimes so large but all the vttc i see are small o.o also which is the best vacuum tube i could use with a vttc. also what happens if i make a spark to the other end of the sec coil instead of air? a bipolar design 'd that work. also i heard a vttc has some deadly current. also how can i make a tesla coil like that 20MHZ hell fire vttc on youtube?
Annnd could a sgtc make the fluid like sparks or tornado sparks could a vttc do that too?

Dr. Dark Current

Fri Jan 11 2013, 05:08PM

Registered Member #152 Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384

The shape of sparks depends on the envelope of the RF power. Pulsed envelope = thin branching sparks, smooth envelope = hot arcs. Many coils are run on half-wave rectified unfiltered voltage, which results in the sword-like sparks. So the output just depends on what power envelope a given Tesla coil can output:

SSTC: Can output basically any envelope. DRSSTCs (pulsed, low duty cycle) make long branching sparks. Half-wave powered SSTCs make sword-like sparks, DC powered ones make a very hot almost flame-like discharge (and consume a huge amount of power).

SGTC: Can only be pulsed - branching sparks

VTTC: Usually run on half-wave recitifed or half-wave doubled voltage which resutls in sword sparks. Can also be interrupted, but not very common. A VTTC can usually not produce very high peak powers, so is not suitable for low-duty pulsed operation (except for special pulse tubes etc.)

lightlinked

Fri Jan 11 2013, 07:04PM

Registered Member #2087 Joined: Tue Apr 21 2009, 08:32AM
Location:
Posts: 115

there is a list in the HVWIKI

thw QCW DRSSTC varient isn't on it yet though

StormInABottle

Fri Jan 11 2013, 09:04PM

Registered Member #9252 Joined: Fri Jan 04 2013, 06:27AM
Location: Andromeda
Posts: 253

That is a tesla coil i'd be proud of.

that kind of arc is what gets my excited but why on tape the spark is thin and in pics the sparks are wide and purple. also my main goal after tesla coils is for the spark to be CONTINIOUS (arc) wirelessly transmit energy. for it to be not a really wild TC. a table top design like that in the video is awesome. also the sparks never get shorter than 20 inches.

also the shorter and wider that tesla coil could be is always better. like a 30 cm long but about 6 inches wide is good? also as always. i can always stand or touch the coil topload while wearing a faraday cage
btw after some research i found out that the SSTC is too complicated ( AM SO LAZY TO DO IT (also so noob to make it) A DRSSTC sparks with electrocute you due to not so high frequency . a VTTC ( still on my mind ) SGTC Sparks not continious output :(
tho sstc seem the perfect fit. but thier hard to make Could any of you list a NOOB FRIENDLY dc powered sstc schematic. That coil maximum lenght should be 50 cm. most perferred is 30
i can get as wide as 6 inches
i will be using a pvc pipe :P
btw i have a super heavy duty center tapped secondary 18 0 18 15 amps. i can combine booth 18 and get 36
I think the transformer puts alot more current... i can make steel get red hot and melt. aluminum vapourize , lead-solder turns into large balls. etc.
also it is soo large and heavy can i make any use of that for a sstc. i have a 30 amps rectifier and i can also place a large capacitor and a regulator
btw one of the goals of the tesla coil i am thinking of is being portable.

He shorts the seconary and gets a continious arc

Physics Junkie

Fri Jan 11 2013, 10:03PM

Registered Member #7267 Joined: Tue Oct 16 2012, 12:16AM
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Posts: 407

You might want to have a look at Steve Ward's Mini SSTC5 on his website. It's very simple easy to put together, relatively small, can be made portable, strong E-field can illuminate fluorescent lights wireless. It's a great design for a first tesla coil/sstc. You can achieve 7 inch or more sparks at least with this coil. Heres the link to the page

there is A LOT of details about it and how to change the spark appearance and other stuff... Also here is an instructable on how to build this same coil

it is not very hard at all and you definetly learn a lot building one of these.. enjoy!

-Harry

StormInABottle

Sat Jan 12 2013, 06:39AM

Registered Member #9252 Joined: Fri Jan 04 2013, 06:27AM
Location: Andromeda
Posts: 253

7 inch sparks :(? 20 atleast D:

Can't i use the same driver circuit but with stronger components / large transformer i mentioned above and 220 volts and also a large coil?
Also please answer my questions at the VTTC thanks :D

Physics Junkie

Sat Jan 12 2013, 07:35AM

Registered Member #7267 Joined: Tue Oct 16 2012, 12:16AM
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Posts: 407

Yeah if you tweak a few components as well as use a full bridge you will get larger sparks from that.

Sigurthr

Sat Jan 12 2013, 01:21PM

Registered Member #4463 Joined: Wed Apr 18 2012, 08:08AM
Location: MI's Upper Peninsula
Posts: 597

Steve Ward's SSTC5 can be beefed up with chunky transistors (MOSFETs) and large heatsinks to perform at very high power levels. A major factor is resonant frequency; too high and transistors don't run so well at higher powers, so lower the frequency by using a large toroid and a big secondary (at least 4.5" dia) and you can get more out of your power electronics.

Using FDL100N50s and -tiny- TO-264 heatsinks I can squeeze 7" 1800W CW arcs (12"+ interupted) out of my SSTC5 since I dropped the f0 to 185KHz. If I could drop it to 100KHz I would probably be able to get 2.5kW out of the coil.

StormInABottle

Sat Jan 12 2013, 02:15PM

Registered Member #9252 Joined: Fri Jan 04 2013, 06:27AM
Location: Andromeda
Posts: 253

Please answer the vttc tesla coil questions :D it is easier. also is there any way to decrease the frequency of a vttc

Sigurthr

Sat Jan 12 2013, 03:42PM

Registered Member #4463 Joined: Wed Apr 18 2012, 08:08AM
Location: MI's Upper Peninsula
Posts: 597

A regular old CW running SSTC is leagues and bounds easier and simpler than a DRSSTC. Also depending on your background in valve (tube) work, VTTCs may be more complex than solid state coils. I know that is how it is for me; I can design a sstc driver in a few seconds that will always be automatically in tune, but it would take me hours and hours to plan a tube coil and days of fiddling to get it in resonance. I can put together a sstc driver for about $50, but last I checked it would cost >$150 for the basic parts for a VTTC.

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