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Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length




From: 	Thornton, Russ #CSR2000[SMTP:ThorntoR-at-rc.pafb.af.mil]
Sent: 	Monday, November 24, 1997 3:16 PM
To: 	'Tesla discussion Group'
Subject: 	RE: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length

Malcolm, 
Can you give some details on your E.S. meter?  Sounds interesting.

Russ Thornton
CSR 2040, 
Building 989, Rm.  A1-N20
Phone: (407) 494-6430 
Email: thorntor-at-rc.pafb.af.mil


>----------
>From: 	Tesla List[SMTP:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
>Sent: 	Friday, November 21, 1997 11:01 PM
>To: 	'Tesla List'
>Subject: 	Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length
>
>
>From: 	Malcolm Watts[SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
>Sent: 	Friday, November 21, 1997 6:51 PM
>To: 	Tesla List
>Subject: 	Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length
>
>I too have found that dry air is particularly good for longest sparks.
>A great test for best conditions is to check how much static you can 
>generate by dragging your feet in insulated soles on a carpet. I set 
>up an e.s. voltmeter here at work in one room. We also use it to 
>demonstrate the hazards of using carpets in computer rooms, workshops
>where e.s. sensitive components are worked on etc. It gave the 
>computer service group here something of a "shock" when they realized 
>the qualities of the carpet in their room.......
>
>Malcolm
>
>> From:   Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz[SMTP:acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br]
>> Sent:   Thursday, November 20, 1997 11:08 PM
>> To:     Tesla List
>> Subject:    Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> Humidity certainly affects the formation of sparks. I have more
>> experience with electrostatic generators, and what I observe is
>> that loooong sparks can only be obtained in very dry air. With
>> humid air, apparently the charges escape more easily to the air,
>> and even if the generator is carefully dried with hot air, what is 
>> obtained instead of long sparks is only a bluish glow at the 
>> high-voltage terminals.
>> In the case mentioned, the exposition to humid air
>> can explain the bad results outdoors. Reducing the size of the
>> terminal may have increased the strength of the electrical field
>> around the toroid, causing a spark, even at lower voltage.
>> Or simply the air humidity decreased at that time.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz
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