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RE: Z-Machine Sparkage- Try this at home!!
Original poster: "Yurtle Turtle by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <yurtle_t-at-yahoo-dot-com>
Very interesting work.
How were you able to capture the photo:
"electrostatic_9.jpg"? Since this was a short lived
event at the beginning of the discharge, was this
simply trial and error?
thanks
Adam
--- Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:
> Original poster: "brianb by way of Terry Fritz
> <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <brianb-at-antelecom-dot-net>
>
> Sue/all,
>
> I repeated your experiment and noticed some
> interesting things happening in
> the gap area. Some of these observations may be of
> use for our Tesla Coil
> gaps so I don't think this is to far off topic.
>
> My setup used a .06uf capacitor, 12kv-at-30ma NST, .75"
> brass electrode, and
> .25" gap between the electrode and the water.
>
> One of the things I noticed was the physical wave
> created in the water each
> time the gap fired. At first I assumed it was due to
> the shockwave from the
> superheated air in the arc channel (which also made
> an acoustic "pop" each
> time the gap fired). Upon closer examination I
> noticed this was only part of
> what was happening. What I observed was the water
> under the gap being pulled
> up towards the electrode due to electrostatic forces
> then dropped as the gap
> fired (dissipating the charge). This electrostatic
> effect is quite
> pronounced as I'm able to observe the gap distance
> being reduced by over
> half.
>
> I had made an assumption that the breakdown voltage
> was simply due to the
> static distance between the electrode and the
> water's surface. But what I
> found was a dynamic interaction between the gap
> voltage and the
> electrostatic forces. As the voltage is increased
> the electrostatic forces
> pulled the water up closing the gap distance until
> it fires. With this in
> mind I realized the cap was probably firing with
> much less than a full
> charge.
>
> In an attempt to get pictures of this effect I added
> a bit of yellow food
> coloring to the water and was able to capture a
> couple interesting images
> which can be seen at
>
http://www.briananddebbie-dot-com/images/Backyard%20Science/Water_Arcs/water_arc
> s.htm
>
> Next Steps:
>
> 1) I need to measure the cap voltage and see how
> high it's getting before it
> fires. My expectation is this will allow me to
> increase the gap setting from
> .25" to around .75" thus putting more energy into
> arc.
>
> 2) I want to reduce the surface tension of the water
> and see what effect
> this has. It may create a more pronounced effect on
> the water or maybe not.
> I'm not sure.
>
> More to come...
>
> Regards,
> Brian B.
> www.briananddebbie-dot-com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> Sent: Friday, April 11, 2003 9:38 PM
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Z-Machine Sparkage- Try this at home!!
>
>
> Original poster: "S Gaeta by way of Terry Fritz
> <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <sgtporky-at-prodigy-dot-net>
>
> Hi Brian,
>
> I agree. I would not start with the huge capacitor.
> Maybe you should work
> your way up in 10uf increments! The biggest high
> voltage cap I have is only
> 10uf anyway. That is scary enough for me! I would
> work my way up in .05uf
> increments :-)
>
> The choke serves no purpose whatsoever. The brass
> ball gap apparatus I was
> using was from one of my first tesla coils that was
> scrapped. I was
> experimenting with DC at the time so the diodes and
> the choke was left over
> from that project. The choke was used at the time to
> keep the RF from the
> coil out of the diodes. That particular coil only
> produced 8" sparks, but
> took out an answering machine in the next room. I
> have come a long way since
> then, but I saved all the junk.
>
> Sue
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> Sent: Friday, April 11, 2003 7:05 PM
> Subject: RE: Z-Machine Sparkage- Try this at home!!
>
>
> > Original poster: "brianb by way of Terry Fritz
> <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <brianb-at-antelecom-dot-net>
> >
> > Sue,
> >
> > Stepping up to big energy would take a
> significant learning curve and
> would
> > need to be accomplished in many smaller steps. A
> concern with that much
> > energy would be a steam explosion but who knows.
> >
> > I assume you are using the current limiting of
> the NST to keep from
> blowing
> > the diodes when the arc short circuits them. One
> question - What is the
> > function of the choke in your setup?
> >
> > Regards,
> > Brian B.
> > www.briananddebbie-dot-com
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> > Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 7:40 PM
> > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> > Subject: Re: Z-Machine Sparkage- Try this at
> home!!
> >
> >
> > Original poster: "S Gaeta by way of Terry Fritz
> <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> > <sgtporky-at-prodigy-dot-net>
> >
> > Hi Brian,
> > I'm not exactly sure, but something tells me
> that it will be rather
> intense,
> > that you that you shouldn't be anywhere near it!
> Perhaps the first test
> > should be made with an expendable video camera,
> with you remotely
> controling
> > it from an underground bunker! I'd be reeeal
> curious to see what that
> would
> > do!!
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Sue
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 8:27 PM
> > Subject: RE: Z-Machine Sparkage- Try this at
> home!!
> >
> >
> > > Original poster: "brianb by way of Terry
> Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> > <brianb-at-antelecom-dot-net>
> > >
> > > Sue,
> > >
> > > Great pictures. Wonder what would happen if
> I used my 227uf/22kv cap?
> > >
> > > :-)
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Brian B.
> > > www.briananddebbie-dot-com
> > >
> >
>
>
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