Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 14:57:06 -0200
From: Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz <acmq@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

High Voltage list wrote:
>
> From: Dr. Resonance <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Yes, we built one about 12 years ago.  Current increase, as compared to a
> belt, is approx 1,200%.

This doesn't seem possible. The belt in a regular VDG operates already
close to the limit of charge density that would cause ionization of
the air. The conductive sections of a pelletron chain would at most
operate at this same density. The current is always directly
proportional to the area per second of charge transport surface that
reaches the terminal. For a given belt speed, it's very difficult to
get something better than what a belt can give.

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz