Re: Van de Graaff /Pelletron (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 19:23:02 +1030
From: Matthew Smith <matt@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Van de Graaff /Pelletron (fwd)

  > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 08:23:40 -0800
> From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Van de Graaff /Pelletron (fwd)
>
> I guess all of those who've looked at those pictures again have come up
> with our own way of making a "belt".  In thinking about that I came up
> with a fundamental question which might inhibit further efforts.  If the
> individual pellets are conducting, which seems necessary, don't their
> edges form a chain of little spark gaps and isn't the maximum output
> voltage for a given length limited by breakdown between the pellets?  If
> so, it would seem that to get interesting voltages the machine would
> have to be run in an insulating gas under pressure.
>
> 	Comments?

1) Anything with edges/angles could do this.  Spheres would be better.
2) No reason why, if we were to use spheres on a string, we could not include an
insulating disc between each sphere:

-0-|-0-|-0-|-0-

This should still run through the pulleys quite happily.

We've seen some real innovation through the Tesla list - could it be the turn of
the electrostatic machine to benefit from this wonderful international
collaboration?

Cheers

M

-- 
Matthew Smith
Kadina Business Consultancy
South Australia
http://www.kbc.net.au