What is a Tesla Coil?

Tesla coils are also called Tesla coils because they are transliterated directly from the English name "Tesla". This is a distributed parameter high-frequency series resonant transformer that can obtain high-frequency voltages in the millions of volts. The principle of the traditional Tesla coil is to use a transformer to boost the ordinary voltage, and then charge the primary LC circuit resonance capacitor to charge the discharge threshold. The spark gap discharge is conducted, and the primary LC circuit has series resonance, which provides sufficient power for the secondary coil High excitation power, followed by the frequency of the secondary LC circuit, makes the inductance of the secondary coil and distributed capacitance in series resonance, then the discharge terminal voltage is the highest, so you see lightning. In layman's terms, it is an artificial lightning maker. There are enthusiasts of Tesla coils all over the world. They have made a variety of equipment to create dazzling artificial lightning, which is very beautiful.

The principle is to use

SGTC (Spark Gap Tesla Coil) = Spark Gap Tesla Coil

Tesla coil is composed of an induction coil, transformer, lighter, two large capacitors and a transformer with a primary coil only a few turns.

Tesla coils are not only used in games or arts, they are also valuable. For example, Tesla coils can be used to achieve electrical energy.

SGTC, it is made up of a

Tesla Coil Overview

Modern enthusiasts have designed a very modern SSTC based on the principle that Tesla coils receive energy by LC oscillation. Most of the early SSTC players were foreigners.

The solid-state Tesla coil is a Tesla coil in which the oscillating chip replaces the LC oscillation of the SGTC and the amplifier amplifies the power to drive the secondary coil section. Its principle is still LC oscillation, but the transmitter has changed.

The solid-state Tesla coil can also be controlled by audio to make the arc push the air to sound.

The solid-state Tesla coil generates high-frequency alternating current through the oscillation of the chip. Because the work of solid-state Tesla coils is better controlled, there are two types of solid-state Tesla coils: fixed frequency and frequency tracking. Fixed frequency, that is, the primary part can only emit a fixed frequency; frequency chasing, that is, the primary part will automatically adjust the transmission frequency according to the LC oscillation frequency of the secondary part, so as to achieve perfect resonance. Therefore, frequency-tracking SSTC has become the mainstream of solid-state Tesla coils.

sstc Tesla coil fixed frequency sstc

sstc

This is a fixed-frequency SSTC circuit controlled by a 555 timer chip. The source is unknown (according to speculation, it may be the work of a Tesla fan who posted it).

Among them, NE555 is a frequency source, that is, a chip that generates high-frequency signals. It controls the output frequency through the resistors on pins 8 and 7, and the capacitor on pin 6. For its principle, I won't explain too much here.

The 555 timer outputs high-frequency signals from pin 3. In this circuit diagram, the output signal is amplified by three transistors and input to the gate of a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Field Effect Transistor). After amplification, the high-frequency electromagnetic waves with high intensity are output in the primary coil and are transmitted by the secondary coil. Receiving, due to the LC oscillation, an electric current is generated in the secondary coil, thereby generating an arc.

To make a fixed-frequency SSTC, the frequency of the chip output must be consistent with the LC oscillation frequency of the secondary part in order to resonate. Therefore, in this circuit diagram, the resistance on pin 7 is replaced by a fixed value resistor and a potentiometer, which can more easily adjust the output frequency and thus resonate.

In particular, if you make it according to the parameters of this circuit diagram, the output frequency is a bit low for general SSTC, so try not to make it according to the data of this diagram.

sstc Tesla coil frequency tracking sstc

The fixed frequency circuit has its own shortcomings, so the frequency tracking circuit was born.

Frequency tracking sstc

Steve's Frequency Tracking SSTC

This is the circuit of foreign enthusiast Steve Ward. It is a frequency tracking circuit.

First, some energy is emitted to the secondary coil, so that it has high-frequency alternating current (LC oscillation), and then it will emit electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic wave is received by the antenna (Antenna in the picture), it becomes a positive voltage signal after passing through two logic gates, and then two power amplifier chips are input, and then input to a half bridge (power amplifier through GDT (Gate Driver Transformer) Circuit, which will be described in detail later), generates a high-intensity electromagnetic wave and is received by the secondary coil. At this time, there is energy in the secondary coil again, which will be emitted in the form of electromagnetic waves and input to the antenna, so the cycle will continue. This feedback method is called antenna feedback.

In addition to the feedback method described above, magnetic loop feedback is another feedback method. A 30 to 50 turns of wire are wound on a magnetic ring of a suitable size, and the two ends of the wire are connected to the feedback point in the figure, and then the secondary The ground wire passes through one turn of the magnetic circle and then grounds.

The advantage of antenna feedback is that it is simple to make. The principle is to use the characteristics of electromagnetic currents that are induced by metal when it encounters metal. The disadvantage is that the driving circuit must also be grounded, and sometimes the vibration is difficult. Magnetic loop feedback is just the opposite of antenna feedback.

Tesla coil

The frequency-chasing circuit collects frequency information directly from the secondary LC oscillation circuit, thereby transmitting electromagnetic waves, so that perfect resonance can be achieved.

Believe it or not, Tesla Coils can not only protect your laptop, play beautiful music, but also make a group of people cheer and drool together!

In this performance at the Maker Faire 2008 venue in San Mateo, California, the dazzling flash not only exclaimed the onlookers, but in the hissing flash, faint saliva was also heard. However, this is not because the audience was spit by the lightning cramps on the face, but because there are dozens of hot dogs hanging in the two coils. When the lightning brushes, the scent will follow. come out.