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The pages I have come across this forum so far indicate that the best way to run a TMT is with a signal generator fed into a power amplifier, which is then fed into the primary coil of the TMT. I was curious to know as to what kind of power amplifiers people are using or recommend for such experiments and whether tube amplifiers are preferred over semiconductor amplifiers.
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the big thing that most people miss is that it needs to be pulsing direct current on the output.
you can use whatever drive system you want as long as you keep this in mind.
so if you use a transformer on the output, that converts to alternating current, and then you are not going to get the desired result.
Tesla used a transformer to step up the voltage and then used a rotary switch spun by a synchronous AC motor driven by the same power source to convert to DC. He then put it through a magnetically quenched spark gap. DC works very well in a magnetically quenched spark gap. So that is the waveform you are looking for. Trying to outsmart it with an AC coupled input is likely a fail. -
Thank your for your reply spacecase0. However, the information I've come across this forum doesn't recommend using spark gaps for switching TMTs as it can interfere with local radio services.Comment
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the field you are trying to make with a tesla coil will make radio interference, it is usually local.
as you said in your first post,
you could do fancy transistors and drive it with an arbitrary wave form generator, you would get less noise if you set it correctly
they make some pretty large IGBT modules that can be driven direct with your arbitrary wave form generator, but I would buffer the output as they tend to kill everything connected when they blow up
here is just an example of one such transistor
MG300Q1US41 Datasheet pdf - GTR Module Silicon N Channel IGBT High Power Switching Applications Motor Control Applications - TOSHIBA
it will do 1200V and 300AComment
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