What is NST Tesla coil?
What is NST Tesla coil?
NSTs & MOTs for Tesla Coils A popular choice is the NST, or Neon Sign Transformer. These typically give output voltages of between 7,500 volts to 10,000 volts in Europe, or in the USA and other parts of the world, a considerably healthier 15,000 volts, with an average current of 60 m/amps.
Are Tesla coils bad for you?
Tesla Coils can damage or destroy hearing aids and cardiac pacemakers in the proximity of the unit. This means that Tesla Coils are capable of killing a person wearing a pacemaker. It is imperative to verify that anyone using one of these devices maintains a good distance from an operating Tesla Coil.
What is a Terry filter?
The Terry filter serves the purpose of protecting the NST from any RFI getting into the NST and also any ‘over voltage’ situation that may occur. This is when a fault causes a reverse EMF to be generated by the primary, or the primary receives a strike from a streamer.
Why are Tesla coils dangerous?
Long Distance Arcing: Tesla coils, by their nature, produce electrical arcing which can travel unpredictably in any direction and can strike at considerable distances. These arcs can be very dangerous. Ozone: Tesla coil equipment produces large quantities of ozone, which is poisonous.
How are Tesla coils calculated?
- Formulas for Tesla Coils. v. 3.0.
- Ohm’s Laws. V = I x R = P / I = SQRT(P x R)
- Resonate Frequency. Fo = 1 / (2 x pi x SQRT(L x C))
- Reactance. Xl = 2 x pi x F x L.
- RMS. Vpeak = Vrms x SQRT(2) For sine waves only.
- Energy. E = 1/2 x C x V^2 = 1/2 x L x I^2.
- Power. P = E / t.
- Helical Coil. Lh = (N x R)^2 / (9 x R + 10 x H)
Is Tesla coil a capacitor?
A Tesla coil consists of two parts: a primary coil and secondary coil, each with its own capacitor. (Capacitors store electrical energy just like batteries.) The two coils and capacitors are connected by a spark gap — a gap of air between two electrodes that generates the spark of electricity.
How do you choose a capacitor for a Tesla coil?
Primary capacitor should be 19.8nF, and some people say that you need to use larger than resonance capacitor, about 1.6 times larger than resonant cap value. So that’s about 30nF.
How many turns on a Tesla coil?
The Tesla coil is a very souped-up transformer. Let’s briefly consider what would happen if it were a perfect transformer. The primary winding has six turns and the secondary has about 1800 turns. The primary is driven with 340 volts, so the secondary will have 340V x 300 = 102kV across it.
How many volts does a Tesla coil have?
Tesla coils can produce output voltages from 50 kilovolts to several million volts for large coils. The alternating current output is in the low radio frequency range, usually between 50 kHz and 1 MHz.
What kind of filter does a Tesla coil use?
It was left in for this coil as it can help prevent the transformer from becoming damaged if anything goes wrong. The filter used is a common type of low pass filter known as a Terry filter which is often used in Tesla coils which are powered from an NST.
What kind of NST do I need for a Tesla coil?
I strongly recommend using an older NST to power your Tesla coil. A good NST should be very heavy and only contain a primary winding, secondary winding and metal core (and probably some potting material). The output frequency should be the same as the input frequency (50 or 60 Hz).
Why are shunts removed from a Tesla coil?
The current limiting makes NSTs more robust than other transformers. The shunts can be removed to provide a bit more current, but the chances of winding damage increases. The primary, low voltage side of a NST should be wired through a line filter which is connected to the house or building mains.
Is it necessary to remove GFP from Tesla coil?
Where P = NST VA rating, V = NST input voltage, and f = mains frequency. It is not necessary to use the exact capacitance calculated, something less is fine. It is common for people to remove the GFP when using the NST in a Tesla coil as the transformer is not connected to the mains earth anyway.