Arc and heat.

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Luke" <Bluu-at-cox-dot-net> 

I was playing with an idea.  I put together some copper fittings to form an 
elongated loop.  I used one side of the loop as an electrode of a spark gap 
then used a piece of copper tube for the other electrode.  These were 
situated like a parallel pipe gap.
                   ____________
     /   /       /    ________    /
     /   /       /   /              /   /
     /   /       /   /              /   /
     /   /       /   /              /   /
     /   /       /   /              /   /
     /   /       /   /________/   /
     /   /       /_____________/
Copper            Copper Loop
Pipe


The intent was to fill the loop with a fluid (start with water) and apply 
some sort of cooling to the side of the loop that was not being used as an 
electrode (thinking of Peltier device).  The heat generated from the gap 
would cause the fluid to rise on that side of the loop and the cooling 
would cause the fluid to sink on that side.  This would set up a current in 
the loop circulating the fluid for me.  This way I could compare the heat 
effects of the pipe verses the loop.

Any way I started playing with it with no water in it.  I let it run for 
about 2 minutes and found the copper pipe to be much hotter than the 
loop.  I figured this was due to the loop having more thermal mass.  So I 
turned it on and played with the spark for about 20 minutes.  Then I found 
the loop side had heated up but still not nearly as much as the copper 
pipe.  Got an infrared thermometer on order so it's the touch it and see if 
it leaves a mark method for now. J

So this makes me want to play around with how much cooling can be obtained 
with thermal mass.  The cooling I want to apply may not be necessary.  But 
might due it for fun one day (curious to play with a peltier device).

Here is the question for those of you that may have been where I am now.
If I had a 12KV 60ma NST hooked up to a gap of 0.25" would it generate more 
heat in the gap if a tesla coil was hooked to it or if the gap were ran by 
itself?  I am assuming by itself would generate more heat since there is no 
other place for power to be dissipated if the gap is all that is in the 
circuit.

Thanx

Luke Galyan
Bluu-at-cox-dot-net
http://members.cox-dot-net/bluu