Tesla coil diagram for 220 V: how to assemble a transformer with your own hands, the principle of operation

The operation of CRT TVs, fluorescent and energy-saving bulbs, remote charging of batteries is provided by a special device - a Tesla transformer (coil). A Tesla coil is also used to create spectacular purple lightning charges that resemble lightning. The 220 V circuit allows you to understand the device of this device and, if necessary, make it yourself.

Mechanism of work

Tesla coil is an electrical device capable of increasing voltage and current frequency several times. During its operation, a magnetic field is formed, which can affect electrical engineering and the state of a person. Discharges entering the air contribute to the release of ozone. The transformer structure consists of the following elements:

• Primary coil. Has an average of 5-7 turns of wire with a cross-sectional diameter of at least 6 mm².
• Secondary coil. Consists of 70-100 turns of dielectric with a diameter of not more than 0.3 mm.
• Condenser.
• Discharger.
• Spark glow emitter.

The transformer, created and patented by Nikola Tesla in 1896, does not have ferroalloys, which are used for cores in other similar devices. The power of the coil is limited by the electrical strength of the air and does not depend on the power of the voltage source.

When voltage hits the primary circuit, high-frequency oscillations are generated on it. Thanks to them, resonant oscillations arise on the secondary coil, the result of which is an electric current characterized by high voltage and high frequency. The passage of this current through the air leads to the appearance streamer - a purple discharge resembling lightning.

The oscillations of the circuits that occur during the operation of the Tesla coil can be generated in different ways. Most often this happens with a spark gap, lamp or transistor. The most powerful devices are those that use double resonance generators.

Source materials

A person with basic knowledge in the field of physics and electrical engineering will not be difficult to assemble a Tesla transformer with his own hands. You just need to prepare a set of basic parts:

• Power supply with a voltage of about 9-12 volts. The role of such a source in a home-made device can be played by a car battery, a laptop battery, or a step-down transformer with a diode bridge to generate direct current.
• Primary circuit. Consists of two resistors with a nominal resistance of 50 and 75 kOhm, a VT1 D13007 transistor or a similar device with an n-p-n structure.

A mandatory element of the primary coil is a cooling radiator, the size of which directly affects the cooling efficiency of the equipment. A copper tube or a wire with a diameter of 5-10 mm can be used as a winding.

For the secondary winding, it is recommended to use a cable with a cross section of 0.1 to 0.3 mm², wound on a dielectric PVC tube. The optimal tube length is 25-40 cm and a diameter of the order of 3-5 cm.

The secondary coil requires mandatory insulation in the form of processing with paint, varnish or other dielectric. An additional part of this circuit is the serial terminal. Its use is advisable only with powerful discharges; for small streamers, it is enough to bring the end of the winding upwards by 0.5-5 cm.

Connection diagram

Tesla transformer is assembled and connected in accordance with the electrical diagram. The installation of a low-power device should be carried out in several stages:

1. Install the power supply with strict observance of the correspondence of the contacts.
2. Attach the heat sink to the transistor.
3. Assemble the electrical circuit using plywood, a wooden box, or a piece of plastic as a dielectric backing.
4. Insulate the coil from the circuit with a dielectric plate with holes for connecting wires.
5. Install the primary winding, excluding its fall and contact with another winding. Provide a hole in the center for the secondary coil, ensuring the distance between them is at least 1 cm.
6. Fasten the secondary winding, make the necessary connections, guided by the diagram.

A more powerful transformer is assembled in a similar way. To achieve great power, would need:

• Increase the dimensions of the coils and the cross-section of the windings by 1.1-2.5 times.
• Install an alternating current source with a voltage of 3-5 kW.
• Add a terminal in the form of a toroid.
• Provide good grounding.

The maximum power that a properly assembled Tesla transformer can reach is up to 4.5 kW. Such an indicator can be achieved by equalizing the frequencies of both contours.

A self-assembled Tesla coil must be checked. During test connection follows:

1. Set the variable resistor to the middle position.
2. Track the presence of a discharge. If it is absent, you need to bring a fluorescent lamp or an incandescent lamp to the coil. Its glow will indicate the presence of an electromagnetic field and the operability of the transformer. Also, the serviceability of the device can be determined by self-igniting radio tubes and flashes at the end of the emitter.

The first start-up of the device should be carried out while monitoring the temperature. In case of strong heating, additional cooling is required.

Transformer application

The coil can create different types of charges. Most often, during its operation, a charge arises in the form of an arc.

The glow of air ions in an electric field with an increased voltage is called a corona discharge. It is a bluish radiation generated around coil parts that have significant surface curvature.

A spark discharge or spark travels from the terminal of the transformer to the surface of the earth or to a grounded object in the form of a beam of rapidly changing shape and extinguishing bright stripes.

The streamer looks like a thin, weakly glowing light channel with many branches and consisting of free electrons and ionized gas particles that do not go into the ground, but flow through air.

The creation of various kinds of electrical discharges with the help of a Tesla coil occurs with a large increase in current and energy, which causes a crackle. The expansion of the channels of some discharges provokes an increase in pressure and the formation of a shock wave. A set of shock waves sound like the crackle of sparks when burning a flame.

Transformer effect this kind was previously used in medicine for the treatment of diseases. High-frequency current, flowing through the human skin, gave a healing and tonic effect. It turned out to be useful only under the condition of low power. With an increase in power to high values, the opposite result was obtained, negatively affecting the body.

With the help of such an electrical device, gas-discharge lamps are ignited and a leak is detected in a vacuum space. It is also successfully used in the military field to quickly destroy electrical equipment on ships, tanks or buildings. A powerful impulse generated by the coil in a very short period disables microcircuits, transistors and other devices within a radius of tens of meters. The process of destruction of equipment is silent.

The most spectacular field of application is indicative light shows. All effects are created due to the formation of powerful air charges, the length of which is measured by several meters. This property allows the transformer to be widely used in filming films and creating computer games.

When developing this device, Nikola Tesla planned to use it to transfer power on a global scale. The scientist's idea was based on the use of two strong transformers located at different ends of the Earth and functioning with an equal resonant frequency.

With the successful use of such a transmission system, the need for power plants, copper cables and electricity suppliers would be completely eliminated. Every inhabitant of the planet could use electricity anywhere absolutely free of charge. However, due to its economic unprofitability, the plan of the famous physicist has not yet been (and is unlikely to ever be) realized.