Joel Lagacé

Principle (Short Explanation)

• Open-loop & nonlinearity: Instead of a closed DC loop, the HF/HV source excites the tube’s plates (capacitors) and coils (inductors), aiming for strong field interactions and sharp transient pulses.
• Triode-like layering: Alternating foil plates (acting like capacitors around the tube) and coil windings (acting like control grids) create a stacked, multi-stage structure—hence “Magnetic Flux Triode Tube.”
• Chaining: Multiple tubes or multiple layers can be chained; last coil often left open to keep the system asymmetrical (no conventional closed current path).

Materials

• Clear dielectric tube (e.g., fluorescent lamp glass or similar non-conductive tube).
• Aluminum foil tape (forms the capacitive plates).
• Electrical tape (vinyl) — dielectric layers and mechanical binding.
• Magnet wire (enameled copper) for the coils.
• Short lengths of hookup/conductor wire to bond to each foil “plate.”

Step-by-Step Construction

1. Prepare the tube
   • Clean and dry the glass/plastic tube thoroughly.
   • Plan where each plate and coil layer will sit; leave ~12–15 mm (½″) bare margin at each end for every foil plate.
2. Plate #1 (lower plate)
   • Wrap a band of aluminum foil tape around the tube; keep ~½″ margin from each tube end.
   • Attach a short conductor pigtail along the plate using foil tape so the wire is firmly bonded to the metal plate.
3. Dielectric wrap
   • Cover Plate #1 fully with a snug layer of vinyl electrical tape. This provides insulation and the dielectric gap between plates.
4. Plate #2 (upper plate)
   • Add a second band of foil tape over the dielectric, again leaving ~25 mm (1″) margin from each side of the first plate to avoid edge shorts.
   • Bond a second conductor pigtail to Plate #2 with foil tape.
   • Wrap another full dielectric layer (vinyl tape) to encapsulate Plate #2 and its lead.
5. Coil #1 (control winding)
   • Choose a winding direction (e.g., clockwise) and stick with it for all subsequent coils.
   • Evenly wind the magnet wire over the dielectric (on top of Plate #2). Keep turns tight and neat. Leave both coil ends accessible and initially open.
   • Secure with a thin layer of vinyl tape (no gaps; avoid cutting into the wire enamel).
6. Repeat layering
   • Add more plate → dielectric → coil layers as desired, preserving the same coil winding direction to maintain phase consistency.
   • Note: More layers can increase coupling and field strength, but excessive pressure on the glass is risky—balance layers vs. mechanical integrity.
7. Finish & strain relief
   • Overwrap the assembly with a final dielectric layer. Label each plate lead and coil lead clearly.
   • Add gentle strain relief to all pigtails so they don’t tear the foil or windings.

Connections (Single Tube or Chained Tubes)

1. Drive (HF/HV): Connect your ion valve / HF-HV generator output to the tube’s input terminal(s) (commonly to a plate or injection node designed as the “input”).
2. Coil chaining: Feed the output of Coil #1 to the input of Coil #2 (e.g., down the chain “to the left”). Keep the far right end of each stage ready to connect forward.
3. Last coil left open: Leave the very last coil’s far end disconnected (open loop) to preserve asymmetry (per the concept).
4. Plates usage: Plate leads can go to measurement nodes, coupling networks, or staged capacitor banks—do not short plates together across a thin dielectric.
5. Downstream: Route captured pulses to rectifiers/filters or to a test load (e.g., a pulse-charge stage). Always current-limit and fuse.

Tip: Keep all HV leads short, add bleeders on any storage caps, and mind RF ground layout to reduce stray arcing and ringing.

Tuning & Use Notes

• Gap & frequency: If using a spark/ion element, tune gap and drive frequency until you see clean, repeatable impulses.
• Resonance: Coil turns, plate area, and dielectric thickness set resonance. Small geometry changes can make large dynamic differences.
• Directionality: Keep all coils wound the same way unless you intentionally need phase inversion.
• Scaling: Multiple tubes can be paralleled or cascaded; stop if heating, corona, or arcing appear—re-engineer spacing/insulation.

What It Is (In Plain Terms)

The “Magnetic Flux Triode Tube” is a layered LC structure: foil plates act like capacitors around a dielectric tube, and magnet-wire windings act as inductors/control grids. A high-frequency, high-voltage driver excites these layers so displacement current and field coupling dominate—yielding sharp pulses and strong near-fields for experimental energy capture or pulse-charging stages. It’s essentially a compact, multi-section capacitor-inductor transmission structure built for asymmetrical, open-loop operation.