Otto`s replication of Steven Mark`s TPU

[CTG Labs]

Hi Otto,

You may remember many months ago I posted a PDF showing an variable oscillator I built with 3 ICL8038s and I was going on about how you must mix 3 frequencies and sometimes they can combine.

I also showed scope shots in this document showing these signals combing in to much higher voltage spikes.  Most of you will remember this, I think it was last novemeber or something.

I saw no excess energy gain here.  I simply saw electrostatic coupling and some constructive mixing of signals to higher peaks.  But I SAW NO EXCESS ENERGY, SO I HAD NOTHING!

I went on to replace these home made oscillators with 3 proper signal generators and with each I placed mosfet driver stages to run the coils.  Again I could see the same, but at no time did I see any excess energy above what I took from the supply.

Otto, I have tried your 50 turns of wire with a single wire through the centre, and yes I can see spikes, but if I place that wire outside of the coil rather than the inside, the same occurs, oh and I saw no excess energy there either.

I think that for now I will leave it in the hands of those who are clearly better qualified than I since given everyones responses towards me I am clearly missing the point, which I thought was excess energy freely converted.


Regards,

Dave.

PS Otto & Roberto, no disrepect intended in any of my posts.

[gaspo100]

Dave,

I think that what is shown is the document is a circuit tuned to such frequencies so it doesn't give up too much energy - but enough for safe experimentation.

I'm guessing that if you try to tune closer to the 'right' frequencies then the unit would produce more...

Peter

[CTG Labs]

Hi Peter,

If this is the case, I am sure someone on here who is braver, (or perhaps dumber!!!) will go straight ahead and synchronise the frequencies straight off and then perhaps we will know.

Until then, ITS ALL SPECULATION!

If we cannot get useful power without synchronising, then we must synchronise.  I call to Otto and Roberto to then clear the room, stand with remote switch, connect a bank of bulbs and crank this baby up!


Regards,

Dave.

[Hoppy]

Before anyone attempts to replicate Otto's and Roberto's we need to fill in a few gaps in knowledge. For instance, I have already raised the issue about the Mosfet drive. Did Otto and Roberto drive their output Mosfets at 6V gate voltage? No answer yet. If they did then the Mosfet heatsinks were getting hot for obvious reasons and their observations on PSU current and temperature are consistent with this and it follows that their conclusions may be incorrect. To test the 'hot' aluminium theory, drive the Mosfets at the correct gate voltage and thereby keep them in their SOA. Having done this, heat a piece of aluminium using a seperate power source and insert it close to the TPU and observe / record then compare results with the original data.

We see a very dimly lit light bulb. What was the measured voltage across this bulb and the current through it? OK I appreciate that a DVM reading of a complex waveform is rather meaningless but at least it gives us all a comparative baseline to work with.  IMO the average power was well under 30W. Does the bulb stay illuminated at the same level for the duration that the PSU volts drop? This question was raised by Stephan and is also unaswered.

I disagree with the interpretation of the waveforms. The traces described as emerging sine waves are IMO the on to off transitions of the Mosfet's. The sharp voltage spikes occur at the current cessation in the coils, followed by the coil discharge. These look complicated and a perhaps a bit sinus in nature because there is a lot of 'ringing' and overlapping in the traces. There will be a number of sub-harmonic resonant points in a frequency sweep and these will produce current peaks and troughs which will translate into variations of bulb brightness. However, I suggest that the capacity of the PSU will dictate the maximum level of bulb illumination with the given coil and driver design. The throughput efficiency may be approx 40 -50% so using a PSU that can deliver 5Amps @ 12V,  a 60W mains lamp should illuminate at a respectable level with careful tuning.

[Hoppy]

@ Otto

"But I must warn you. Dont even think to touch the wires when this coils are pulsed. Because its only 1 control coil this doesnt mean there is not much power. Just try it."

What do you feel Otto? Is it  high voltage in the form of an electrical shock or something else. If it is high voltage then I respectfully suggest this does not imply that there is any amount of power behind it.