The self - resonance and self - capacitance of solenoid coils : applicable theory , models and calculation methods

The data on which Medhurst's semi-empirical self-capacitance formula is based are re-analysed in a way that takes the permittivity of the coil-former into account. The updated formula is compared with theories attributing self-capacitance to the capacitance between adjacent turns, and also with transmission-line theories. The inter-turn capacitance approach is found to have no predictive power. Transmission-line behaviour is corroborated by measurements using an induction loop and a receiving antenna, and by visualising the electric field using a gas discharge tube. In-circuit solenoid self-capacitance determinations show long-coil asymptotic behaviour corresponding to a wave propagating along the helical conductor with a phase-velocity governed by the local refractive index (i.e., v = c if the medium is air). This is consistent with measurements of transformer phase error vs. frequency, which indicate a constant time delay. These observations are at odds with the fact that a long solenoid in free space will exhibit helical propagation with a frequency-dependent phase velocity > c. The implication is that unmodified helical-waveguide theories are not appropriate for the prediction of self-capacitance, but they remain applicable in principle to opencircuit systems, such as Tesla coils, helical resonators and loaded vertical antennas, despite poor agreement with actual measurements. A semi-empirical method is given for predicting the first selfresonance frequencies of free coils by treating the coil as a helical transmission-line terminated by its own axial-field and fringe-field capacitances.