Re: [TCML] Re: Discovery Mythbusters - Liquid Stun Gun using coil

[Sfxneon@xxxxxxx]

Thanks again Greg, for the "behind the scenes" look at this MythBusters  
episode in your lab. I've been hanging out on their forums for the last few days  
and reading all the wacky responses to that episode, and some are just real  
gems! 
 
Speaking of wacky thoughts, how about mounting some water jets on the  
topload which spray different solutions that produce different colors?  It might be 
really interesting if the water stream flow could be made  more laminar so 
that it would remain contiguous for a longer distance, or  alternately, be 
atomized at the surface. Who said water and electricity  don't mix!
 
Okay, I'll give you that one for free :)
 
Tony Greer
*************

In a message dated 9/21/2008 2:58:54 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
lod@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Hi Tony,

I was very surprised at how brightly the arc current  illuminated the 
water stream.  There was no coloring added to the  water, just salt.  The 
brilliant red-orange color is probably a  sodium-line.  I wouldn't have 
predicted that the RMS current in the arc  could have brought the sodium 
to such intensity, let alone produce any light  from the water at all.
Suppose it's largely a pulsed effect.

It was  amusing that, upon viewing high-speed footage after the shoot, 
the producer  voiced concern over how the arc appeared as if they added 
lightsabre FX to  the video...  All in all, they were a fun group to work 
with, had good  snacks and they went pretty easy on the lab area.   GL


Tony  Greer wrote:

> Hi Greg, all,
>  
> I recorded  that segment, and watched it several times to see just what was 
 
>  going on in the background. I figured that the salt water was what was   
causing 
> the bright orange flashes between the primary turns when I  saw  all that 
> water on the floor. Funny how the coil seemed to  never skip a  beat, 
though. 
>  
> Interesting how the  water stream acts like a breakout point and directs 
the  
> arcs in  the direction that it's pointed. The arc seems to start at the end 
of   
> the contiguous stream of water a few feet from the coil, but it looked  
like 
> the  water stream itself was also illuminated a bright red or  orange 
color. Was 
> it  vaporizing some of the sodium in the salt  water, turning the arc red, 
or 
> was it  just red colored water?  Even the slo-mo video looks like the arcs 
> start out  red and  change to blue a couple of feet from the coil.
>  
> For those  that missed it, Mythbusters was exploring the possibility of  
>  making a taser which used two jets of water instead of wires to deliver  
the  
> charge. They started out by powering it with a stun gun, and  in true 
Mythbuster  
> fashion, took it to the extreme by visiting  Greg's Nevada Lightning Lab 
and  
> climbing inside the topload of  his 18 foot tall TC with a big water gun.  
The arcs 
> were directed  with the water stream at a dummy 'perpetrator',  which 
caused 
>  several strikes to hit it. Not at all practical, but an interesting   
experiment 
> with a big TC.
>  
> Thanks for your reply  Greg, and for allowing Mythbusters the use of your  
> lab. It must  have been a really fun day with Jamie and Adam around!
>  
>  Tony Greer
> *************
 



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