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Can exposure to plasma or energy from Tesla home windings damage the body's cells? More generally, will the plasma or energy from the Tesla coil ionize?

Merlin
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  • I expect it can. – Andy aka Mar 02 '21 at 11:34
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    The higher the voltage generating sparks and striking matter the higher the likelihood you are generating x-rays of some kind. If you are above 50 kV you are already entering into hard x-rays used for dental. Above 100 kV and you are into catscan ranges. Much above that and it's no man's land. I'd say that anything over about 25 kV and I start worrying more. If you are an old geezer, then you don't have to worry quite so much. You won't live long enough. But keep everyone else away. – jonk Mar 02 '21 at 11:35
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    If you want to test this, just get yourself some x-ray film. Place it behind you. Set up a rotating sheet of tungsten and let the sparks hit it. Stand between the tungsten and the film. Wait a few minutes. Develop the film. Enjoy. – jonk Mar 02 '21 at 11:44
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    If it is causing large arcs, then its ionizing. You should also be able to smell the ozone. Be sure to orient the poles of your body to accept the orgone energy. – Kartman Mar 02 '21 at 11:57
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    What's a "Tesla home winding"? – Marcus Müller Mar 02 '21 at 12:12
  • Thanks for your explanation #jonk #andy aka #kartman #marcus muller – Merlin Mar 04 '21 at 10:45

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Although the voltage of Tesla coil is comparable to that of hard X-ray machines, the construction is not, they are not built in a vacuum. At atmospheric pressure, electrons do not have the mean free path available to get to high enough energies to emit significant amounts of X-rays when they hit the electrodes. Their energy is constantly being dissipated at lower levels keeping the arc plasma hot.

There are dangers from TC coils though.

Breathing in the ozone and nitrogen oxides generated by the sparks is not good for your lungs, so don't run one for a long time in a closed room.

Several operators of Tesla coils have died when sparks, that is plasma channels, have contacted them at the same time as contacting conductors at mains potential. Whereas the current in the sparks themselves is very low, once they complete a route from a low impedance sources of energy, a large current can flow, and kill you if you're part of that route.

At the frequencies involved, humans tend not to feel electric shocks resulting from spark current through their skin. It can still cause damage to surface and deeper layers of body tissue by heating, so-called 'RF burns'. Nerve endings are likely to be the first things to stop working.

UV light from the arcs is not a good thing to watch for a long time.

Neil_UK
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    Good ol' everyday RF can give painful burns as well. I've even been "bitten" by quite low wattage RF when operating in the rain with a long wire aerial. – Russell McMahon Mar 02 '21 at 12:42