PHYSICS WORKING MODEL
Tesla Coil
Project by:
Keshav Khandelwal
Keshav Rateria
Yug Gohel
Alok Shaw
Jayesh Agarwal
Vihaan Goenka
CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
o WORKING PRINCIPLE
• MATERIALS AND METHODS
o APPARATUS
o CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
o METHOD
• RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
o RESULT
o ADVANTAGES
o DISADVANTAGES
o APPLICATIONS
• SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
•ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
A mini Tesla coil is a miniature version of the Tesla coil which is an electrical
resonant transformer circuit designed by inventor Nikola Tesla in [Link] is used to produce
high-voltage, low-current, high frequency alternating-current electricity. Nikola Tesla put
forward a possible way of transmission of electricity wirelessly through air.
Tesla Coils or resonant transformers of high frequency and high potential have been
used in many commercial applications. Although not all commercial applications for Tesla
coils are still in use for some historical and modern day applications including:
o Spark Gap Radio Transmitters
o Induction and dielectric heating
o Induction Coils
o Medical X-Ray devices
o Quack medical devices
o Ozone generators
o Particle accelerators
o Electrical stage shows and entertainment
The first system that could wirelessly transmit electricity, the Tesla coil was a truly
revolutionary invention. Early radio antennas and telegraphy used the invention, but
variations of the coil can also do things that are just plain cool — like shoot lightning bolts,
send electric currents through the body and create electron winds.
The concept behind the coil is actually fairly simple and makes use of electromagnetic
force and resonance.
The power source is hooked up to the primary coil. The primary coil's capacitor acts
like a sponge and soaks up the charge. The primary coil itself must be able to withstand the
massive charge and huge surges of current, so the coil is usually made out of copper, a
good conductor of electricity. Eventually, the capacitor builds up so much charge that it
breaks down the air resistance in the spark gap. Then, similar to squeezing out a soaked
sponge, the current flows out of the capacitor down the primary coil and creates a magnetic
field.
The massive amount of energy makes the magnetic field collapse quickly, and
generates an electric current in the secondary coil. The voltage zipping through the air
between the two coils creates sparks in the spark gap. The energy sloshes back and forth
between the two coils several hundred times per second, and builds up in the secondary
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coil and capacitor. Eventually, the charge in the secondary capacitor gets so high that it
breaks free in a spectacular burst of electric current.
The resulting high-frequency voltage can illuminate fluorescent bulbs several feet away
with no electrical wire connection.
Early radio antennas and telegraphs used the technology and although the Tesla coil is
not widely used today, the revolutionary invention introduced and demonstrated the
wireless application of electricity. By building your own Tesla coil, you will be able to
produce an oscillating radio frequency to generate a high enough voltage to illuminate a
light bulb all by itself.
Figure 1: A mini Tesla Coil lighting a CFL lamp
WORKING PRINCILPLE
▪
Faraday’s Law of Magnetic Induction:
“The induced electromotive force in any closed circuit is equal to the negative of
the time rate of change of the magnetic flux enclosed by the circuit.”
Which means that, when a conductor is placed under a varying magnetic field, a
small current will be induced inside the conductor. For a Tesla coil, this conductor will be
called as the secondary coil and the varying magnetic field will be produced by the primary
coil by passing an oscillating current through the primary coil.
• Magnetic Flux: It is the number of magnetic field lines passing through a closed surface
such as the conducting coil.
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The power of the Tesla coil lies in a process called electromagnetic induction, i.e.,
a changing magnetic field creates an electric potential that compels current to flow.
Conversely, flowing electric current generates a magnetic field. When electricity flows
through a wound up coil of wire, it generates a magnetic field that fills the area around
the coil in a particular pattern, shown with lines below:
Figure 2 : Magnetic Field around the coil
When huge amount of energy is transmitted through the coil, the magnetic field
is exploited resulting in the release of electric power.
Figure 3: Transmission of Electricity through the coil
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MATERIALS AND METHODS
APPARATUS
• Resistor
A resistor is a component that opposes a flowing current. Every conductor has a
specific resistance, if one applies a voltage or potential difference V at the terminals of
the resistor, then the current I passing through is given by Ohm’s Law.
Here, a resistor of resistance 27k is used .27k is a high resistance which is equal to
27000 ohms which results in less current hence producing less heat which will be safe for
the circuit.
I = V/ R
A 22k resistor can also be used instead of a 27k one.
• Transistor
The transistor helps to make the frequency of AC equal to resonant frequency to the
coil by a feedback mechanism. You need not have to manually 'tune' the primary and
secondary coil it is the transistor that 'auto tunes' the mini tesla.
A high current high frequency transistor like 2N2222 is used to supply current
through the primary coil.
• Copper Wire
Enameled copper wire or magnetic wire is coated with a thin layer of insulation. It is
used in transformers, motors, speakers, almost all the electrical appliances. Some require
tight coils of the wire.
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An aluminum wire must have 1.6 times the cross sectional area as a copper wire
to achieve comparable DC resistance.
Due to this, a copper wire is used to improve the energy efficiency in appliances.
Here copper wire is wounded upon an insulator to conduct voltage and electricity.
Finer wire is used for lower current.
• Connecting Wires
Connecting wires allows an electrical current to travel from one point on a circuit
to another because electricity needs a medium through which it can move. Most of
the connecting wires are made up of copper or aluminum, bounded with plastic.
• Battery
An electric battery is a device consisting one or more electrochemical cells that
convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Each cell contains a positive
terminal and a negative terminal. Electrolytes inside allow the ions to move between
the terminals, which allows the current to flow oyt of the battery to perform work.
Here a 9V battery is used.
• Switch
ON/OFF switch is used to turn on or off the power supply in the circuit as and when
required
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CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
The main component in this circuit is the secondary coil, which is made by winding
a magnetic wire around a cylindrical object (any non conductive object).
A high current high frequency transistor like 2N2222 is used to supply current through
the primary coil. The whole set up is powered by a 9V battery as shown above. Whenever the
transistor conducts, current is flown through the primary coil. The LED diode and one end of
the secondary coil is also connected to base of transistor to make the circuit oscillate, this way
the transistor will send a oscillating current into primary coil.
Figure 4: Circuit diagram for the construction of Mini Tesla Coil
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METHOD
1. Wind the copper wire (secondary coil) closely around the PVC pipe (or a cylindrical non
conducting object) as close as possible, without overlapping one another.
Figure 5: Coil wounded closely around the object
2. Attach a small ball wrapped in aluminum foil on the top end of the pipe.
Figure 6: Ball wrapped in aluminum foil
3. Stick the cylinder on a proper base where the connections have to be made.
Figure 7: cylinder stuck on a base
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4. Take a connecting wire (primary coil) and wind it around the cylinder so that both
the ends of that wire is at the base.
Figure 8: primary coil around cylinder
5. Connect the 27k resistor and lower end of the copper wire to the base terminal of the
transistor.
Figure 9: connected resistor and transistor
6. Connect one end of the primary coil to the collecting terminal of the transistor.
7. Take a small piece of another connecting wore and connect one end to the resistor and the
other to the other end of the primary coil.
8. Take a battery snap and connect the negative terminal (black) to the emmiter terminal of
the transistor.
9. Connect the positive terminal (red) of the snap to a switch.
10. Take another small piece of wire and connect one end to the switch and the other to
the transistor.
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11. Connect the 9V battery to the battery snap.
Figure 10: battery connected to the snap
12. Place a CFL lamp near the coil.
Figure 11: CFL lamp near the coil
13. You can place a LED bulb in the circuit to check whether the current is flowing, if
necessary
Figure 12: LED in the circuit
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
RESULT
The CFL lamp brought near the Tesla Coil gets lighten up due to the transmission
of electricity through air.
Figure 13: Lamp glowing near the coil
The lamp becomes dimmer when moved away from the coil.
Figure 14: Dim lamp away from coil
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ADVANTAGES
• Non radiative energy transfer is safe for people and animals.
• Wastage of Power is less.
• Provides high efficiency over large distance.
• Does not interfere with radio-waves.
• With widespread use, it could eliminate costly batteries.
• Mini tesla coils can be used as household, i.e., can be used at the time of power
cuts and for emergencies.
DISADVANTAGES
• It's deeply inefficient. Power you can receive drops off exponentially as you
move further away.
• It's impractical. The magnetic field generated by such a device would cause all sorts
of noise in any unshielded electronic device.
• It's impractical. The cost of such a system would be immense, and the cost for
powering it would be exponentially more than a direct power line.
• The Tesla coil operates at a high enough frequency that the current from the
output does not penetrate the skin. So you won't be shocked by it. But for a large
Tesla coil there is enough current that it can burn the skin. It has both high voltage and
high current.
APPLICATIONS
Today, small Tesla coils are used as leak detectors in scientific high vacuum systems
and igniters in arc welders.
Tesla coils are displayed as attractions at science museums and electronics fairs, and are
used to demonstrate principles of high frequency electricity in science classes in schools
and colleges.
Low-power Tesla coils are also sometimes used as a high-voltage source for
Kirlian photography.
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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
A Tesla Coil is a simple coil that creates a high voltage electric field in the air
when a small input power (9V) is provided, this electric filed is strong enough to glow
small light bulbs. This principle was invented by the Nicola Tesla, who also holds the
credit for inventing Induction Motors, AC current, neon bulbs, Remote controls, etc.
The Tesla coil works with the principle of Electromagnetic Induction. According
to which, when a conductor is placed under a varying magnetic field, a small current will
be induced inside the conductor. For a Tesla coil this conductor will be called as
the secondary coil and the varying magnetic field will be produced by the primary coil by
passing an oscillating current through the primary coil. The current transmitted out can
be thus light a CFL lamp placed close to it, which means , the concept wireless electricity
found by Tesla was true.
CONCLUSION
• Generates high voltage with high frequency.
• Transmits electrical power wirelessly up to a certain distance depending upon its ratings.
• Principle of Electromagnetic Induction is verified.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many
people have best owned upon me their blessings and the heart
pledged support, this time I am utilizing to thank all the people who
have been concerned with this project.
I would thank my Principal Mrs. Sanghamitra Banerjee and our
Physics teacher Mrs. Soma Nandy, whose valuable guidance has
been the ones that helped me patch this project and make it full proof
success. Her suggestions and her instructions have served as the
major contributor towards the completion of the project.
Then I would like to thank my parents and friends who have
helped me with their valuable suggestions and guidance has been
very helpful in various phases of the completion of the project.
Last but not the least I would like to thank my classmates who
have helped me a lot for completing this project.
Alok Shaw
XII B2
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