In this video I'll show how i built a battery powered solid state tesla coil that fits on a desk or a coffee table. The coil uses a "slayer
exciter" circuit with an RC snubber and reverse protection diode to avoid damaging spikes of voltage/current during "hard switching". In
addition, 3 FETs are used in parallel to spread out the heat load, which makes the circuit far more reliable.

In addition to those changes, I've buffered the MOSFET gate drive with a push-pull pair consisting of an NPN and PNP transistor. This allows the

gate to be turned on and off much faster, and allows more control over the gate voltage by using a resistor divider on the base of the

transistor(s).

The circuit is interrupted with a 555 timer. It runs at approximately 60 hz and 30% duty cycle. This gives the arcs a more sharp/jagged shape,

but also reduces the power consumption and heat load.

Another useful feature in this driver is the low voltage cutoff circuit, which shuts off the gate drive transistors if the supply voltage falls

below 22V. This ensures that the lithium battery won't be over-discharged.

The maximum arc length i've observed on this coil is approximately 4" (10 cm),
which is very impressive considering that the supply voltage is only 24V.

You may have also noticed that I used a sharp electrode for a breakout but no toroidal / spherical top load. This is to reduce
A few specs:

Primary Turns: 2
Secondary Turns: ~1200
Secondary Diameter: 3.5"
Secondary Height: 6.0"
Input Voltage: 24V (Nominal)
Current Consumption: ~4A
Operating Frequency: ~300 kHz
Interrupter Frequency: ~60 Hz
Duty Cycle: 30%
Snubber R/C: 2 Ohm / 54 nF

Parts I used:

IRF640 (3 in parallel for driving the primary)
2N3904 / 2N3906 (gate drive transistors)
2N3904 for undervoltage cutoff / interrupter pull down
MUR120G (Rail diodes)
NE555 (Interrupter)
LM833 (Undervoltage cutoff comparator)


Music Used:

Kevin MacLeod - George Street Shuffle
Kevin MacLeod - Lobby Time
Serge Pavkin - Crystals