Solid State Tesla Coil: Basics & Advice

[Pagedown]

Hi everyone, I am have been looking here for a long time, but today is my first day registered. I will be active from now on =). As my first post, I would like to know about the basics and advice about the solid state tesla coil. I would like to do it for my final year project. Is it advisable? or is it and old technology that is not meaningful today? and if compared to the conventional air gap method of tesla coil, which would be better?

 

[berkeman]

Hi everyone, I am have been looking here for a long time, but today is my first day registered. I will be active from now on =). As my first post, I would like to know about the basics and advice about the solid state tesla coil. I would like to do it for my final year project. Is it advisable? or is it and old technology that is not meaningful today? and if compared to the conventional air gap method of tesla coil, which would be better?

Welcome to the PF. What is a solid state Tesla coil? What is different from a regular Tesla coil? I'd like to learn more about this...

 

[sophiecentaur]

Hi and welcome
You are presumably intending to use a solid state oscillator as a source of RF power for your coil. The coil will still be 'wound'.

I only made one Tesla transformer and that used a massive RF triode valve which self-oscillated and which glowed orange-hot at times. The valve was a very rugged device so it didn't come to any great harm when the tuning wasn't right. If you use a solid state transmitting device, I should make sure that you drive it with a separate oscillator. Make sure it is a beefy as you can lay your hands on, too. Even on the primary, some pretty high voltages occur at resonance.

I found that the dimensions (spacing and no. of turns) of the primary were very critical. There was a lot of cut and try before getting a really fat discharge from the secondary. It was actually quite scary.

 

[Pagedown]

Thanks, how to make one circuit self-oscillating? Can you probably show a schematic? =)

 

[sophiecentaur]

It was about 30 yrs ago and all that remains is a faded photo. There must be designs in old constructor mags. or even on the net.