> but there are about 10-15 cycles it goes through, not just one spark
George, the spark occurs as the instant the points open. The subsequent oscillations are caused by the residual energy in the bouncing back and forth between the condensor and coil until that energy is dissipated in the resistance of the primary circuit.
What happens is that resistance through an inductor can't change instantaneously. But when you open the points, you're demanding the current through the coil primary to change, so the coil develops sufficient voltage to arc across the point gap. (That's why points always wear out over time.) The sudden change in current through the coil primary causes the coil's magnetic flux to also change, which induces a high voltage in the secondary winding. That voltage will rise to whatever it takes to jump the spark gap. Most of the energy in the coil is expended in this spark.
Meanwhile, the condensor gives the current through the coil primary an alternate path once the points open. This limits the voltage induced in the primary and reduces arcing across the points. As current passes through the condensor, its voltage rises and it accumulates energy. The subsequent "ringing" is the result of that energy flowing back into the coil, then back to the condensor, etc. It's the solution to a second order differential equation (i.e. a sine wave), and is really no different than, say your car bouncing when you hit a bump in the road.
Upload one or more videos to your post. Photo filesizes should be less than 300K and Videos, less than 2MB. Formats allowed are gif, jpg, png, ogg, mp4, mov, and avi. Be sure to use filenames without spaces or special characters, and filetypes of 3 digits lower case.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - 12-Volt Conversions for 4-Cylinder Ford 2000 & 4000 Tractors - by Tommy Duvall. After two summers of having to park my old 1964 model 4000 gas 4 cyl. on a hill just in case the 6 volt system, for whatever reason, would not crank her, I decided to try the 12 volt conversion. After some research of convert or not, I decided to go ahead, the main reason being that this tractor was a working tractor, not a show tractor (yet). I did keep everything I replaced for the day I do want to restore her to showroom condition.
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
