The Tesla transformer (the principle of the device will be considered later) was patented in 1896, September 22. The device was presented as a device that produces electric currents of high potential and frequency. The device was invented by Nikola Tesla and named after him. Let us further consider this device in more detail.
Tesla Transformer: How It Works
The essence of the device can be explained by the example of the well-known swing. When they swing under conditions of forced oscillations, the amplitude, which will be maximum, will become proportional to the applied force. When swinging in free mode, the maximum amplitude with the same efforts will increase many times. This is the essence of Tesla's transformer. An oscillating secondary circuit is used as a swing in the apparatus. The generator plays the role of the effort. When they are consistent (pushing in strictly necessary periods of time), a master oscillator or primary circuit is provided (in accordance with the device).
Description
Tesla's simple transformer includes two coils. One is primary, the other is secondary. Also, the Tesla resonant transformer consists of a toroid (not always used), a capacitor, a spark gap. The last - breaker - is found in the English version of Spark Gap. The Tesla transformer also contains an “output” - terminal.
Coils
The primary contains, as a rule, a wire of large diameter or a copper tube with several turns. The secondary coil has a smaller cable section. Its turns are about 1000. The primary coil can have a flat (horizontal), conical or cylindrical (vertical) shape. Here, unlike a conventional transformer, there is no ferromagnetic core. Due to this, the mutual induction between the coils is significantly reduced. Together with the capacitor, the primary element forms an oscillatory circuit. It includes a spark gap - a nonlinear element.
The secondary coil also forms an oscillating circuit. A toroidal and own coil (inter-turn) capacity act as a capacitor. The secondary winding is often coated with a layer of varnish or epoxy. This is to avoid electrical breakdown.
Arrester
The Tesla transformer circuit includes two massive electrodes. These elements must be resistant to high currents flowing through the electric arc . Must have an adjustable gap and good cooling.
Terminal
In the Tesla resonant transformer, this element can be installed in different designs. The terminal may be a sphere, a sharpened pin or disk. It is intended to produce long predictable spark discharges. Thus, two connected oscillatory circuits form a Tesla transformer.
Energy from the ether is one of the goals of the functioning of the apparatus. The inventor of the device sought to achieve a wave number Z of 377 Ohms. He made coils of increasing size. Normal (full) operation of the Tesla transformer is ensured in the case when both circuits are tuned to the same frequency. As a rule, during the adjustment process, the primary is adjusted to the secondary. This is achieved by changing the capacitance of the capacitor. The number of turns in the primary winding also changes until the maximum voltage appears at the output.
In the future, it is planned to create a simple Tesla transformer. Energy from the ether will work for humanity to the fullest.
Act
Tesla transformer operates in a pulsed mode. The first phase is the capacitor charge up to the breakdown voltage of the discharge element. The second is the generation of high-frequency oscillations in the primary circuit. A spark gap connected in parallel closes the transformer (power supply), excluding it from the circuit. Otherwise, he will make certain losses. This, in turn, will reduce the quality factor of the primary circuit. As practice shows, this effect significantly reduces the length of the discharge. In this regard, in a well-constructed circuit, the arrester is always placed parallel to the source.
Charge
It is produced by an external high voltage source based on a low-frequency step-up transformer. The capacitor capacitance is selected so that it forms a certain circuit together with the inductor. The frequency of its resonance should be equal to the high-voltage circuit.
In practice, everything is somewhat different. When calculating the Tesla transformer, the energy that will be used to pump the second circuit is not taken into account. The charge voltage is limited by the voltage at the breakdown of the spark gap. It (if the element is air) can be adjusted. Breakdown voltage is corrected when the shape or distance between the electrodes changes. As a rule, the indicator is in the range of 2-20 kV. The sign of the voltage should not "short-circuit" the capacitor, on which a constant change of sign occurs.
Generation
After the breakdown voltage between the electrodes is reached, an electric avalanche-like gas breakdown is formed in the spark gap. There is a discharge of the capacitor to the coil. After this, the breakdown voltage decreases sharply due to the remaining ions in the gas (charge carriers). As a result, the circuit of the oscillation circuit consisting of a capacitor and a primary coil through the arrester remains closed. High-frequency oscillations are formed in it. They gradually fade, mainly due to losses in the arrester, as well as the passage of electromagnetic energy to the secondary coil. Nevertheless, the oscillations continue until the current creates a sufficient number of charge carriers to maintain a substantially lower breakdown voltage in the arrester than the amplitude of the oscillations of the LC circuit. Resonance appears in the secondary circuit . This leads to high voltage on the terminal.
Modifications
Whatever type of Tesla transformer circuitry, the secondary and primary circuits remain unchanged. However, one of the components of the main element may be of different designs. In particular, we are talking about a generator of high-frequency oscillations. For example, in the SGTC modification, this element is performed at the spark gap.
RSG
Tesla's high power transformer includes a more sophisticated arrester design. In particular, this applies to the RSG model. The abbreviation stands for Rotary Spark Gap. It can be translated as follows: a rotating / rotary spark or static gap with arcing (additional) devices. In this case, the frequency of the gap is selected synchronously with the frequency of the capacitor charge. The design of the spark rotor gap includes an engine (as a rule, it is electric), a disk (rotating) with electrodes. The latter either close, or approach the response components for closure.
The choice of contact location and shaft rotation speed is based on the required frequency of the vibrational packs. In accordance with the type of engine control, spark rotor gaps are distinguished asynchronous and synchronous. Also, the use of a spark rotating gap significantly reduces the likelihood of a spurious arc between the electrodes.
In some cases, a conventional arrester is replaced by a multi-stage. For cooling, this component is sometimes placed in gaseous or liquid dielectrics (in oil, for example). As a typical method of extinguishing the arc of a statistical arrester, an electrode is purged using a powerful air jet. In some cases, the Tesla transformer of a classic design is supplemented by a second spark gap. The objective of this element is to protect the low-voltage (supply) zone from high-voltage emissions.
Tube coil
The VTTC modification uses electronic tubes. They play the role of a high-frequency oscillation generator. As a rule, these are quite powerful GU-81 lamps. But sometimes you can meet and low-power structures. One of the features in this case is the lack of the need for high voltage. To obtain relatively small discharges, you need about 300-600 V. In addition, VTTC almost does not emit noise that appears when the Tesla transformer operates on the spark gap. With the development of electronics, it became possible to significantly simplify and reduce the size of the device. Instead of the design on lamps, Tesla transformer on transistors began to be used. Usually a bipolar element of appropriate power and current is used.
How to make a Tesla transformer?
As mentioned above, to simplify the design, a bipolar element is used. Undoubtedly, a field effect transistor is much better. But with bipolar it is easier to work for those who are not experienced enough in the assembly of generators. The winding of the communication coils and the collector is carried out by a wire of 0.5-0.8 millimeters. On a high-voltage part, the wire is taken 0.15-0.3 mm thick. About 1000 turns are made. A spiral is placed at the "hot" end of the winding. Power can be taken from a transformer of 10 V, 1 A. When using power from 24 V or more, the length of the corona discharge increases significantly . For the generator, you can use the KT805IM transistor.
Appliance use
At the output, you can get a voltage of several million volts. It is capable of creating impressive discharges in the air. The latter, in turn, may have a multimeter length. These phenomena are very attractive in appearance to many people. Tesla transformer is used by lovers for decorative purposes.
The inventor himself used the apparatus to propagate and generate oscillations, which are aimed at wireless control of devices at a distance (radio control), data and energy transmission. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Tesla coil began to be used in medicine. Patients were treated with high-frequency low currents. They, flowing along a thin surface layer of the skin, did not harm the internal organs. At the same time, the currents had a healing and tonic effect on the body. In addition, the transformer is used to ignite discharge lamps and to search for leaks in vacuum systems. However, in our time, the main application of the device should be considered cognitive and aesthetic.
Effects
They are associated with the formation of various kinds of gas discharges during the operation of the device. Many people collect Tesla's transformers to be able to watch exciting effects. In total, the device produces four types of discharges. It is often possible to observe how discharges not only depart from the coil, but also are directed from grounded objects in its direction. Corona glows may also appear on them. It is noteworthy that some chemical compounds (ionic) when applied to the terminal can change the color of the discharge. For example, sodium ions make spark orange, and boron ions green.
Streamers
These are dimly glowing branched thin channels. They contain ionized gas atoms and free electrons, split off from them. These discharges flow from the coil terminal or from the sharpest parts directly into the air. At its core, the streamer can be considered visible ionization of the air (luminescence of ions), which is created by the BB field at the transformer.
Arc discharge
It is formed quite often. For example, if the transformer has sufficient power, an arc can form when a grounded object is brought to the terminal. In some cases, it is necessary to touch the subject to the exit, and then lead to an increasingly large distance and stretch the arc. With insufficient reliability and power of the coil, such a discharge can damage components.
Spark
This spark charge departs from the sharp parts or from the terminal directly to the ground (grounded object). Spark is presented in the form of rapidly changing or disappearing bright filiform strips branched strongly and often. There is also a special type of spark discharge. It is called rolling.
Corona discharge
This is the glow of ions contained in the air. It occurs in a high voltage electric field. The result is a bluish, eye-pleasing glow near the BB components of the structure with significant surface curvature.
Features
During the operation of the transformer, you can hear a characteristic electric crackle. This phenomenon is due to the process during which streamers turn into spark channels. It is accompanied by a sharp increase in the amount of energy and current strength. There is a rapid expansion of each channel and an abrupt increase in pressure in them. As a result, shock waves form at the boundaries. Their combination of expanding channels forms a sound that is perceived as crackling.
Human exposure
Like another source of such high voltage, a Tesla coil can be deadly. But there is a different opinion regarding some types of apparatus. Since the high-frequency high voltage has a skin effect, and the current is significantly behind the voltage in phase and the current strength is very small, despite the potential, a discharge into the human body can not provoke cardiac arrest or other serious disorders in the body.