Re: 600kV voltmeter

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>



Volts x Amps, of course, equals power.  As the waveform drops the power
drops.  Without power, especially current, the heating factor drops and the
streamer dies.  No power --- no streamer.

Erratic paths caused by stray ions and cosmic rays.

Dr. Resonance




> >     FWIW, I had this epiphany a few months back. What happens every 10mS
> > that makes the spark channel dissipate?
> >     Or as Richard Hull posed, why does the streamer *go out* at all?
> >     Why don't all streamers follow the same channel? I suppose the same
> > goes for non-TC sparks...
> >-Phil LaBudde
>
> Hi Phil,
>
> Interesting questions. I took a shot at answering some of these on
> Wikipedia - go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil and read the
"Why
> do Tesla Coil Sparks jump to open air?" section. Feel free to
> edit/change/add as appropriate... it IS a Wiki... :^)
>
> The 10 mS thing mostly has to do with the spark channel cooling down
> between shots. The thinner the channel, the more rapidly it cools down.
> Cool air is denser and harder to "break down". This (plus space charge
> effects at the streamer tips) is why the streamer root seems to change
only
> slowly, while the far ends constantly dart and change location. Space
> charge effects are also likely the reason why a well established discharge
> path may suddenly become replaced by a new path on the opposite side of
the
> toroid.
>
> This effect is also what limits high current spark gaps to repetition
rates
> of ~100 Hz without external air flow/cooling. At faster rates, the gap
> doesn't have a chance to fully recover its dielectric strength between
shots.
>
> Best regards,
>
> -- Bert --
> --
>
>
>