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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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