Tesla Coils for Dummies
Are you interested in building a Tesla Coil to produce stunning effects that violate the "established" laws of physics, but are somewhat less than technically savvy than a rocket scientist? Then you are in luck, because this article is for you!
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by Hank
Mills
Pure Energy Systems News
WARNING
Tesla Coil construction can be dangerous. This is especially true when
building, testing, or operating higher powered systems. Life threatening
electric shocks and burns can take place if proper safety precautions
are not taken. Possible damage to the eyes is possible if someone stares
into a powerful spark gap for a long period of time. Some setups
(especially those that use spark gaps) can be very loud and could
potentially cause hearing loss after extended exposure. Ozone can also
be created by these systems. Tesla coils can also create other health
and safety hazards. In addition, improper use of Tesla Coils can damage
home wiring and electrical equipment, presenting a fire hazard.
If this document inspires you to build a Tesla Coil please realize your
life and safety is your responsibility. PESN and myself do not accept
any responsibility or liability. Also, please realize this document is
not all-inclusive, so before attempting to build a Tesla Coil, please
perform your own due diligence when it comes to researching all safety
measures that need to be taken and implementing them.
Introduction
More and more people are becoming interested in Tesla Coils these days.
This makes sense, because there are many reasons to be fascinated with
them. These systems can produce "longitudinal" impulses that can
transmit power and information through solid metal containers (Faraday
cages), travel long distances without any drop of intensity, and produce
"overunity" gains of energy. With a simple set of Tesla Coils, you can
perform experiments that will perplex even the most skeptical folks you
may run into!
To be clear, these exotic properties of Tesla Coils are not myth, but
established facts that have been replicated countless times by
researchers, engineers, and scientists around the world. One such
scientist is Prof. Konstantin Meyl from the University of Applied
Sciences in Furtwangen, Germany. He has experimentally confirmed the
above mentioned properties of Tesla Coils, and has demonstrated his
setups many times. Additionally, he has published a number of books and
papers detailing how they work. Another researcher in the field of Tesla
Coils is Eric Dollard, an absolute expert in the fields of electronics,
antenna design, and radio. He built many systems utilizing Tesla's
technology, and has verified Tesla's claims.
You do not have to be a genius to build a Tesla Coil. They are fairly
simple devices. What is required is the willingness to do research, the
ability to learn, and the common sense to take all proper safety
measures. Safety must always be a priority!
The purpose of this document is to give an overview of Tesla Coils,
their components, their construction, and their special properties. A
special emphasis will be placed on Steve Jackson's Tesla Coil plans that
have been open sourced at PESWiki. By the time you have finished reading
this document, it is hoped you will have a very good idea about what is
involved in building a Tesla Coil
What is a Tesla Coil?
Over a hundred years ago, Nikola Tesla discovered that when a high
voltage circuit is opened or closed, a brief pulse of high voltage is
created. In his age, these pulses of high voltage were killing linemen
and technicians who were working on early electrical transmission
systems. He also noticed that these pulses of high voltage created
discharges of "something" that could be felt on the skin. At first he
thought these discharges could be tiny particles of physical matter,
because in some of his experiments he vaporized thin wires with these
high voltage pulses. However, if these discharges were composed of
matter, a physical barrier should stop them; but no such barrier could
stop them. Next, he thought that these discharges were of an electrical
nature. However, even a shield composed of a conductive metal would not
stop them. He concluded these discharges or impulses were truly unique.
Before long, Tesla went from simply opening and closing a high voltage
circuit to allowing a high voltage to cross a gap between two
electrodes. Eventually, he produced a system where these impulses flowed
across the surface of two stout bars of copper. By placing light bulbs
between these bars he could make them illuminate without any wires. He
noted many other interesting effects in his lectures and notes.
Tesla concluded that these impulses attracted by and flowing over the
surface of the copper bars, were a pure type of voltage decoupled from
electron flow or "current." In his opinion, voltage in an electrical
circuit was a form of compressed "aether." The aether is considered to
be an atmosphere of very tiny (smaller than an electron), very energetic
(traveling faster than light), and penetrating (capable of moving
through matter) fundamental particles. These particles of aether not
only fill the vacuum, but also compose the elementary particles found in
atoms.
The final step that resulted in the creation of what we call a "Tesla
Coil" was the placement of a flat spiral coil of wire between the two
bars of copper. The two bars of copper became a "primary" and the
additional coil was considered the "secondary." The high voltage
produced by the spark gap would flow up the primary, and then be
increased to an even higher voltage by the secondary. He would connect
one end of the secondary winding to a ground and the other end to a
sphere elevated above the setup. The "Tesla Coil" was born!
Over the years, Tesla would improve and add to this setup. He used it to
transmit information and power over long distances. In addition, he
could transmit through any barrier, including Faraday cages! Although
additional Tesla Coils were frequently used to "receive" power and
information, they were not always required. He devised systems in which
the output of a Tesla coil could be channeled into a tube which would
produce a laser like "ray" of aether. When this ray hit certain
electrical conductors, electrical current could be generated. This
electrical current could then be used to power lights, motors, heaters,
etc.
Not a Transformer
Despite the fact a Tesla coil utilizes a "primary" and a "secondary", a
Tesla Coil is NOT a transformer. This is a fundamental and important
distinction that must be made! If it was a transformer, none of the
astounding effects it produces could be possible.
First of all, a transformer utilizes a *tight* coupling of magnetic
fields to manipulate voltage (volts) and current (amperes). A Tesla Coil
is very different, in that the windings of the primary do not have to be
extremely close to the secondary coil. In fact, Tesla incorporated a
significant gap between the primary and secondary coils. This represents
a very loose coupling.
Secondly, the secondary coil of a Tesla Coil is "open" and not "closed."
In a conventional transformer the primary and secondary coils must both
be "closed" for any effect to take place. If a winding in a transformer
is open, then no current can flow through it, no magnetic field can be
produced by it, and no coupling can exist between the primary and
secondary! The transformer is completely non-functional with an open
coil. Conversely, a Tesla Coil is designed to utilize an "open"
secondary. One end of the secondary is connected to the ground and the
other end is connected to an elevated sphere. The ends are not
physically connected. No closed circuit for electron flow is present!
Third, conventional current or amperes (electron flow) does not flow
through a Tesla Coil. Tesla measured this, and determined it to be the
case. The electron flow cannot keep up with the massive build up of
voltage passing over the conductive material. Voltage is continually
increased without any conventional transformer effect making it happen.
The fact that no current flows can be proven beyond any doubt by
building a Tesla Coil out of glass tubes which provide a wave guide
effect, but are completely non-conductive.
Basic Tesla Coil Components and Design
There are many plans for Tesla Coils on the internet. Many of them are
high powered and utilize a spark gap like Tesla's system. A few of them
(such as Steve Jackson's open source plans) do not utilize a spark gap,
but use solid state components. Later in this article I will discuss
Jackson's plans. For now, I will try to describe a more typical system.
A Tesla Coil setup needs a power source. Tesla and many "coilers" today
utilize high voltage transformers. Many folks track down older neon sign
transformers or "ignition coil transformers" to produce the high voltage
they need. These transformers convert the fairly low voltage of mains
power (120 volts) into high voltage (many thousands of volts). Although
these high voltages can allow for very high powered setups, they also
present safety risks. They must be used with care.
There are lots of high voltage transformers that can be used as the
first stage in a Tesla Coil, but please research each possibility before
making any purchase. For example, some types of transformers such as
ignition coils may require a special method of limiting input current to
be utilized. Otherwise, they could burn up quickly, start a fire, and
destroy the wiring in your home. Additionally, older and newer
transformers (even those built for the same purpose) can have important
differences. Some older ignition coil transformers can be used for
extended periods at a time, while some newer ones can only be used for
limited periods.
Capacitors
The next step is connecting one or more of the high voltage transformers
to one or more capacitors. A capacitor is a device used to store and
release electrical charge. In a very simple form, it can be composed of
two plates of conductive material with a plate of insulating material
(dielectric) in the middle. When a difference in voltage is placed
across the two conductive plates a charge is built up between them. This
charge can be released to power a load; or in our case, produce a spark
between two electrodes.
There are all sorts of capacitors out there. It can be difficult to
figure out exactly what you need. This is another example of when it
makes sense to contact someone who has previously built Tesla coils
and/or review the plans on the internet that have already been used to
build successful systems. For example, is important to match the
specifications of your capacitor to the specifications of your
transformer. The transformer is being used to charge up the capacitors,
and you do not want to damage them!
Capacitors can actually be made yourself. There are plans on the
internet that explain how to build home made
Leyden Jars (the
earliest form of capacitor) that can be used in a Tesla Coil setup.
Nikola Tesla built some of his capacitors in a similar manner!
The Gap, Electrodes, and Quenching
After obtaining the proper transformers and capacitors (some circuits
require only one of each, and others require a pair of each) the spark
gap needs to be designed. This is where the action begins! The gap
represents an insulative barrier for the high voltage released from the
capacitors to cross. An increased length of gap represents a more
insulated barrier that requires a higher voltage. A reduced length of
gap between the two electrodes represents a decrease of insulation that
allows less voltage to be applied. You will have to vary the length of
your gap to find the distance that matches the amount of input voltage
from your capacitors.
The material that composes your electrodes is also important. Copper
electrodes seemed to produce qualities that polluted the "purity" of the
aether radiated from the gap. Eventually, Tesla started using carbon and
other materials for his electrodes instead of copper.
When the spark crosses the gap between electrodes, energy from the
capacitors is pushed into the primary. This energy can try to flow back
and bounce back and fourth between the electrodes. Just like the giant
sparks produced by some Tesla Coils, this is a waste of energy. To
reduce this loss mechanism, Nikola Tesla would utilize methods to
"quench" the spark between electrodes. These methods of quenching would
allow the energy to pass between the electrodes, but would not allow it
to flow in reverse. There are many ways of accomplishing this. One way
is by allowing a stream of air to flow between the electrodes to removed
the ionized gas molecules. Another method is by placing a magnetic field
from a permanent or electromagnet between the two electrodes. Tesla also
placed his electrodes in various types of oil or other liquids.
Primary and Secondary Coils
The primary coil needs to be connected to the circuit that powers the
spark gap. In some setups, the ends of the primary coil are connected to
the capacitors of the circuit. How the primary coil is connected will be
different depending upon the construction of your setup.
The function of the primary coil is to guide the pure voltage (unbound
from the current or electron flow), aether, or longitudinal waves along
it's surface and then resonate with the secondary. Resonance is a
phenomenon in which energy transfer is maximized if each impulse of
energy is properly timed. For example, consider pushing a child on a
swing. If you push at the proper moment it's easy to make the swing go
very high. However, if you push at random times it can be very
difficult. The same basic concept applies here.
Resonance between a primary and a secondary in a Tesla Coil is a
function of many variables. Two of these variables include the physical
length of the primary and secondary windings, and the frequency at which
the primary is pulsed. There are mathematical equations that can allow
you to calculate these factors ahead of time. With this information you
could design a setup that will resonate at a specific frequency.
Otherwise, you would have to experiment to determine at what frequency
your primary and secondary resonate. You may or may not be able to
achieve this frequency with your setup. At resonance, the voltage from
the secondary will peak and when completely out of resonance it will
drop tremendously.
As already mentioned, to transmit power, Tesla often utilized a second
Tesla Coil as receiver to collect it. For power to be efficiently
transmitted, the receiver needed to be in resonance with the receiver.
One way of accomplishing this is by making the receiver an exact copy of
the transmitter. This can simplify the process. However, receivers and
transmitters of different sizes can resonate with each other. Modern day
testing has proven this, similar to how certain notes resonate
musically. This is an area that needs further research and testing!
Another factor Nikola Tesla discovered was that the mass of the primary
and secondary coils work best if identical. This would result in a thick
and larger diameter wire being used for the primary, and a thinner or
smaller diameter wire being used for the secondary. When matching the
mass of the wire he would produce the best results. Today, many people
think that the actual wire mass does not need to match, but the surface
area of the primary and secondary windings need to be the same.
[Editor's note: these relationships will probably be shown to work in
harmonic patterns similar to music, and that exact matches are not the
key, but harmonic pairing is.]
Bifilar Wound Secondary
An interesting issue to consider is whether to use a single wire wound
or a bifilar (two wire) wound secondary coil. You can see a bifilar
wound secondary in one of Tesla's patents
here. He determined
that a bifilar wound secondary would allow for a much more rapid
increase in voltage. Modern experimenters have determined a bifilar
wound secondary allow for an exponential increase in voltage while a
single wire wound secondary only allows for a linear increase. Here is a
quote from his patent:
"Let A, Figure 1, designate any given coil the spires or convolutions of which are wound upon and insulated from each other. Let it be assumed that the terminals of this coil show a potential difference of one hundred volts, and that there are one thousand convolutions; then considering any two contiguous points on adjacent convolutions let it be assumed that there will exist between them a potential difference of one-tenth of a volt. If now, as shown in Figure 2, a conductor B be wound parallel with the conductor A and insulated from it, and the end of A be connected with the starting point of B, the aggregate length of the two conductors being such that the assumed number of convolutions or turns is the same, viz., one thousand, then the potential difference between any two points in A and B will be fifty volts, and as the capacity effect is proportionate to the square of this difference, the energy stored in the coil as a whole will now be two hundred and fifty thousand as great. Following out this principle, I may wind any given coil either in whole or in part, not only in the specific manner herein illustrated, but in a great variety of ways, well-known in the art, so as to secure between adjacent convolutions such potential difference as will give the proper capacity to neutralize the self-induction for any given current that may be employed. Capacity secured in this particular way possesses an additional advantage in that it is evenly distributed, a consideration of the greatest importance in many cases, and the results, both as to efficiency and economy, are the more readily and easily obtained as the size of the coils, the potential difference, or frequency of the currents are increased."
The "Extra Coil"
In addition to the secondary winding, Tesla sometimes employed an
additional coil. This coil would be positioned in series between the
secondary and the elevated sphere. It is usually wound not as a flat
pancake like the secondary, but often as a solenoid. There is a lot of
speculation as to why exactly he utilized this extra coil, but the
consensus is that it was important. Although a Tesla Coil can function
and produce truly anomalous effects without one, such an extra coil
allows for an even larger increase in voltage.
If the primary and secondary have a loose coupling, the "extra coil" has
almost zero coupling with the primary or secondary. As the longitudinal
waves of aether of flow across the windings the voltage increases even
more. By this stage, any tiny quantity of conventional current flow that
may have existed in the circuit is removed. Only a pure longitudinal
flow of aether remains that is focused or enhanced by this coil.
In at least a few of his tests, the "extra coil" was wound in the shape
of a cone. This shape is claimed by many experts to be the most optimum.
It can produce huge increases in voltage, which is of course what we
want! The more aether from the environment we can tap into with this
system the more power it can produce or transmit (or waste in the form
of giant sparks or "streamers.")
Spheres and Grounds
Tesla determined that many benefits could be produced by adding a sphere
to the very top end of the secondary wire. One of these benefits was the
prevention of sparks and streamers which waste energy. The sharp tip of
the wire could easily produce such streamers, but by utilizing the
smooth surface of a sphere such beautiful displays were prevented.
Hence, losses were minimized and more power could be transmitted.
Just adding any sphere was not enough. Tesla determined that even a
metal sphere at extremely high voltages could produce streamers, sparks,
and even "darts" of energy. He learned that by coating the sphere in an
insulator such as wax, these losses could be reduced even more.
Eventually, he found that by using a carbon shell as a sphere, the
losses could be reduced dramatically. Glass globes filled with different
inert gases (or vacuum) were also tested and found to help prevent the
loss of energy.
The sphere (regardless of the material it was constructed from) also
served to evenly distribute the transmissions of the system. Instead of
the emissions having some directional component, they were emitted in
all directions. This was important, because he wanted to power the
entire world with such a power broadcasting system!
In addition to the sphere, he connected the bottom portion of the
secondary to a "ground." Quite often, he used the Earth itself as a
ground. Since he considered the Earth to be a giant reserve of aetheric
energy, it could have been attempting to tap into it to make his
transmissions that much more powerful. This seems to be the case,
because receiver units with a ground collected more energy than those
without one. Tesla seemed to be broadcasting energy both through the air
and through the Earth. By tuning into both broadcasts, a receiver could
become more efficient!
Shattering Physics
With a set of Tesla Coils (one transmitter and one or more receivers)
you can produce many effects that are considered to be "impossible" by
mainstream science. For example, you can put a transmitter in a metal
box (Faraday cage) and a receiver in another metal box. Modern science
would claim no transmission could be made between the two. However, it
has been demonstrated repeatedly that the longitudinal (non-transverse)
waves emitted by the transmitter can penetrate any material. In this
case, power would be transmitted directly through the metal boxes!
Another interesting feature of a Tesla Coil based power transmission
system is that the signal does not weaken over distance. This is far
different than transverse waves weaken rapidly over distance, due to the
inverse square law. However, the power transmitted between two Tesla
Coils can remain constant regardless of distance! This transfer of power
without losses will continue, regardless of distance between the units,
as long as the transmitter and receiver stay in resonance.
Longitudinal waves can also travel at superluminal speeds. This has been
tested by multiple scientists and researchers. The exact speeds measured
vary. Some researchers claim the speed is almost infinite and others
claim 1.5 times the speed of light. Probably, the speed of longitudinal
waves of aether depends on the "pureness" of the impulse. If it contains
any transverse components, it probably does not travel at a near
infinite velocity.
Finally, flows of aether seem to have a sort of momentum. Once you get
the aether moving it wants to continue. Tesla was able to cut off power
to his systems and they would continue operating for a period of time.
In addition, he once produced a ray of aether from a tube connected to
the output of a Tesla Coil. He used this beam to power light bulbs and
other loads. After he turned off his coil and removed the tube, light
bulbs would still illuminate in the path the ray had been traveling.
This effect continued for hours!
This momentum effect was also demonstrated by a glow that would grow
around his devices. The longer his giant transmitters were active, the
larger this bubble of illumination would become. In one experiment, he
connected the output of a large transmitter to a wire lifted into the
sky by a balloon. A glow was produced along the wire which grew in
volume over time. Eventually, the glow illuminated the entire area!
Free Energy from the Aether
Tesla's system could also produce gains of energy. If a certain quantity
of energy was used to power his transmitter, much more energy could be
collected by receivers. From the moment his primary was pulsed it seemed
a gain of energy was taking place. As the voltage increased along the
secondary coil the total energy of the system was increasing. When the
flow of aether collected and magnified along the windings of the "extra
coil" there was another gain. The transmission of this flow of aether
through space to the receiver also seemed to produce a gain. This gain
was also magnified after it was collected by the receiver, and traveled
across it's coils.
These gains of energy have been verified by countless replicators. At
times, it seems the energy collected by a receiver can be ten times more
than the energy consumed by the transmitter. If you have more than one
receiver this gain can be multiplied! Somehow, energy is being collected
from the aether, which is everywhere, unlimited, and inexhaustible! The
reason people should build and test Tesla Coils is not to produce
beautiful light shows, but to develop methods of producing free energy
to power our world!
Specific Plans
There are many plans for Tesla Coils on the net. Most of these setups
are used to waste energy and produce long streamers or sparks. However,
they could work well for wirelessly transmitting energy if modified to
prevent such losses. By doing some simple online searches you will find
a wealth of information that can help you design your own setup. Also,
you will find many words on safety guidelines you should follow!
Hopefully, this guide has given you an outline of how a Tesla Coil is
constructed, it's components, how it functions, and the physics busting
feats it is capable of performing! Next, I will be providing a few
comments on Steve Jackson's open source plans.
Steve Jackson's Open Source Plans
Steve Jackson has developed a set of plans for a Tesla Coil setup.
Instead of using extremely powerful high voltage transformers and
capacitors, a solid state arbitrary function generator is used to pulse
the primary. This provides a vast improvement in safety (using a few
volts instead of thousands). Despite the fact this is a lower power
system than many Tesla Coil setups, the anomalous effects of Tesla Coils
can still be demonstrated.
An additional benefit of his system is that by utilizing an arbitrary
function generator, it is much easier to find the resonance frequencies
of the primary and secondary coils. Downloadable software can allow you
quickly search through the frequencies, and an oscilloscope can allow
you to see the voltage peaks that occur at resonance. Tesla did not have
these advanced electronics to aid his research. Thankfully, we do!
A PDF containing details plans can be found at the following
link.
Please download and open the document, because I will be making a few
comments about it and providing additional thoughts. I will be listing
my comments according to page number.
His plans allow for the construction of a low power (safer) system that
can allow you to confirm the wondrous effects of Tesla Coils. I advise
anyone interested in Tesla Coils to start by following these plans to
build a small-scale and low-power unit. By doing so, a lot can be
learned (in a safe way) before you experiment with higher powered
setups.
--
Commentary on Steve Jackson's Open Source Tesla Coil Plans
Page 1 -
Please note how it is stressed this system utilizes low power levels.
This is a good thing when considering safety. However, it might limit
the maximum power that can be transferred to a receiver. Interestingly,
this issue might be overcome without any additional input power. It
might be possible to just increase the number of turns in the secondary
winding to increase the final voltage of the system. In addition, by
adding one or more "extra coils" of various shapes, more aether might be
collected by the system to increase the output.
Remember, we are not dealing with a conventional transformer here. The
output is not limited by the input. There is a clear decoupling between
the two. The gain of voltage by the secondary and extra coils represents
a gain of aetheric energy!
Page 2 -
The document states that the wire sizes may change. One thing to notice
is that the surface area and/or mass of the primary and secondary
windings are not the same in this setup. It might be worth experimenting
with primary and secondary windings of equal surface area and/or mass.
By doing so, Tesla was able to maximize the efficiency of his systems.
Also, as the document states, proceed at your own risk!
Page 3 -
Heathkits were electronic kits distributed by the "Heath
Company."
Page 4 -
If you do not have access to a power tool, a cheap hack saw could be
purchased to make the cuts to the boards. This would take more effort
and time, but could save money.
Page 5 -
Not everyone has a power drill to make a hole in the baseboard. I know
there are small manual powered tools out there that allow you to make a
threaded hole. They look something like a screw driver. Such a tool may
or may not work.
Page 7 -
If you do not want to buy a pair of digital calipers to measure the
thickness of your wire (which is best), there are online charts that
give the thickness or diameter of various wire guages. Also, you might
be able to source wire that comes with detailed specifications.
Page 8 -
The three ring binder reinforcement ring idea is brilliant!
Page 10 -
Soldering is a very useful skill to learn. However, some folks may not
want to learn this skill or don't want to invest in a soldering iron.
One potential solution might be heat-less soldering products.
Wire Glue
To strip the wire, an alternative to buying a wire stripper might be
burning the insulation off with a cigarette lighter, candle, or small
torch. Please be cautious, because the fumes of burning insulation can
be toxic and fire can burn. Also, if not careful you could melt the
wire!
Page 11 -
More drilling and cutting. If power tools are not available hand tools
could probably get this done, but with a lot more work and time
required.
Page 16 -
The secondary coil in this document is a single wire coil. Tesla and
others have discovered the bifilar coils allow for much larger gains of
voltage. After you have tested a single wire coil, it might be
interesting to test a bifilar wound one.
Page 27 -
The aluminum foil on the elevated sphere is very wrinkled. This could
allow for more points where sparks/streamers could emerge. Even though
this is a low powered setup and visible streamers would not be as
obvious, these sharp points could allow energy to be wasted. One
solution could be to coat the ball with some sort of liquid or powered
conductive substance. Perhaps a type of paint or powder. Another
possibility, is insulating the aluminum foil covered ball with wax to
prevent losses.
Of course, like the document stated, this might not matter much.
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