INTRODUCTION TO TESLA COIL

Definition :
A Tesla coil is a type of resonant transformer circuit invented by Nikola
Tesla around 1891. It is used to produce high voltage, relativel y high
c u r r e n t , a n d h i g h f r e q u e n c y a l t e r n a t i n g c u r r e n t e l e c t r i c i t y.

Introduction:
Tesla experimented with a number of different configurations and they
consist of two, or sometimes three, coupled resonant electric circuits.
Tesla used these coils to conduct innovative experiments in electrical
lighting, phosphorescence, x-ray generation, high frequency alternating
c u r r e n t p h e n o m e n a , e l e c t r o t h e r a p y, a n d t h e t r a n s m i s s i o n o f e l e c t r i c a l
energy without wires.

F i g - Ci r c u i t Di a g r a m o f T e s l a Co i l
T h e e a r l y T e s l a c o i l t r a n s f o r m e r d e s i g n e m p l o ys a m e d i u m - t o h i g h -
voltage power source, one or more high voltage capacitor(s), and a spark
g a p t o e x c i t e a m u l t i p l e - l a ye r p r i m a r y i n d u c t o r w i t h p e r i o d i c b u r s t s o f
high frequency current.
T h e m u l t i p l e - l a ye r T e s l a c o i l t r a n s f o r m e r s e c o n d a r y i s e x c i t e d b y
resonant inductive coupling, the primary and secondary circuits both
b e i n g t u n e d s o t h e y r e s o n a t e a t t h e s a m e f r e q u e n c y ( t y p i c a l l y, b e t w e e n
25 kHz and 2 MHz). The later and higher -power coil design has a
s i n g l e - l a ye r p r i m a r y a n d s e c o n d a r y. T h e s e T e s l a c o i l s a r e o f t e n u s e d b y
h o b b yi s t s a n d a t v e n u e s s u c h a s s c i e n c e m u s e u m s t o p r o d u c e l o n g
sparks.
Tesla coil circuits were used commercially in spark gap radio
transmitters for wireless telegraphy until the 1920s, and in
electrotherapy and pseudo medical devices such as violet ray (although
Tesla circuits were not the first or the only ones used in spark
transmitters). Today their main use is entertainment and educational
d i s p l a ys . T e s l a c o i l s a r e b u i l t b y m a n y h i g h - v o l t a g e e n t h u s i a s t s ,
research institutions, science museums and independent experimenters.
Although electronic circuit controllers have been developed, Tesla's
original spark gap design is less expensive and has proven extremely
reliable.

U s e s o f T e s l a Co i l s :
Tesla coils are very popular devices among certain electrical engineers
and electronics enthusiasts. Builders of Tesla coils as a hobby are called
" c o i l e r s " . A v e r y l a r g e T e s l a c o i l , d e s i g n e d a n d b u i l t b y S yd K l i n g e , i s
shown every year at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, in
Coachella, Indio, California, USA. There are "coiling" conventions
where people attend with their home -made Tesla coils and other
electrical devices of interest.
Low power Tesla coils are also sometimes used as a high voltage source
f o r K i r l i a n p h o t o g r a p h y.
T e s l a c o i l s c a n a l s o b e u s e d t o c r e a t e m u s i c b y m o d u l a t i n g t h e s ys t e m ' s
effective "break rate" (i.e., the rate and duration of high power RF
bursts) via MIDI data and a control unit. The actual MIDI data is
interpreted by a microcontroller which converts the MIDI data into a
PWM output which can be sent to the Tesla coil via a fiber optic
interface.