Re: Water sparks (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 11:46:25 -0600
From: Terrell W. Fritz <terrellf@xxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Water sparks (fwd)

Hi Sean,

The water in the Z-Machine is constantly filtered, purified, deionized,
etc. to keep its electrical reistance as high as possible (the water is
being used as an insulator).  So, your water should be very pure like
distilled water from the grocery.  The more of an insulator it is, the
longer the arcs will travel before being bleed off into the water.

Tou may want to try a small ground for the water too.  Rather than having
say a metal pan, try just a small exposed wire end in the water, that will
further decrease the leakage current of the spark.

It may be interesting to put a large series inductor inline with the cap
too.  that would make the spark have a heavy RF content which may produce
interesting results.

You may also just try a metal pan and salt water to insure that the spark
is very tiny in that case.  With some experimenting, I am sure you will be
able to determine what is best for cool sparks.

Cheers,

	Terry

At 08:19 AM 8/6/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 09:35:41 -0700
>From: Sean Taylor <sean.s.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Water sparks
>
>Hi all:
>
>A while back, there were several posts on the Tesla list about creeping arc
>discharges along water surface.  It was all started by a picture of the Z
>machine at Sandia. Anyhow - I have been trying to do this, and first I used
>a 10 kV DC PS I had, and just depended on the filter cap for the discharge
>(bad idea, I know, but it was just a test) and it worked pretty well.  I had
>about 1 inchor so of arcs going out from the electrode (brass drawer pull).
>I recently just tried it again with a couple maxwell pusle caps, with higher
>voltage and more energy storage( 0.188 uF, ~15 kV) than the DC power supply.
>Results were quite disappointing though - only about 1/2" max creeping
>discharge, but plenty of noise.  There were more arcs across the surface,
>but not nearly the same length.  So, here's the question/my theory:  Are the
>Maxwell pulse caps too good, and the current dies out too quickly so the
>arcs don't have time to form? Or is something else going on?
>
>Thanks for the help!
>Sean Taylor
>
>