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DIY Ball Lightning




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From:  John H. Couture [SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net]
Sent:  Thursday, April 09, 1998 9:40 PM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: DIY Ball Lightning


  Jim -

  The basketball size white fireballs are apparently plasma, not the small
residue fireballs from arcs. I have seen some photos that Golka took of the
small arc type fireballs using the sub batteries. Some of these are white
and some are green due to the residue from the copper conductors. However, I
question a number of statements that Golka made regarding the fireballs
produced by the sub batteries.
 
 I have read of electricians that have seen the basketball size type of
fireballs when faults occurred under special conditions with large
electrical systems. With the usual switchgear fault the current interruption
is not fast enough and only creates  small arc type residue fireballs. 

  For the large plasma type fireballs it looks like a large transformer is
needed and also a very special interruption of the current. Fast acting
fuses, etc, are not fast enough. The special conditions required are very
rare and seldom occur. I have often wondered why these special conditions
would create a plasma (ionized gas) fireball instead of the usual type of
fireball (copper residue) when electrical faults occur. It is easy to set up
the conditions for the arc type fireballs but the plasma type fireballs
would be a big design problem (special high speed interruption).

  As I have mentioned before on the Tesla List I have a photo of one of my
Tesla coils with what appears to be a small fireball floating above the
toroid in the electric field. This fireball is a flattened sphere and does
not look like an arc type fireball similar to what Golka and the Corum's
show. The photo was obtained by accident and I was never able to get another
photo. The fireball had the typical shape of a UFO with faces peering out of
windows along the sides.

  John Couture 

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At 01:22 AM 4/9/98 -0500, you wrote:
>
>----------
>From:  Jim Lux [SMTP:jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net]
>Sent:  Wednesday, April 08, 1998 10:59 AM
>To:  Tesla List
>Subject:  Re: DIY Ball Lightning
>
>> From:  Alfred A. Skrocki [SMTP:alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com]
>> Sent:  Monday, April 06, 1998 4:04 PM
>> To:  Tesla List
>> Subject:  Re: DIY Ball Lightning
>> 
>> On Saturday, April 04, 1998 6:40 PM John H. Couture
>> [SMTP:couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net] wrote;
>> 
>> >   Mike -
>> 
>> > arcing. It was a completely different electrical phonomenon compared to
>an
>> > arc. The power source was a 750 KVA transformer close by so there was
>plenty
>> > of short circuit current available.
>> 
>> John, I'm not so sure that a transformer is needed. I rem,ember reading 
>> Golks's notes (I knowe he is not the most treust worthy source) where he 
>> said that he generatet small (apx. 3 inch) plasma balls using a bank of 
>> submarine batteries amd standard sub switch gear, what ever that is. But
>I 
>> have heard similar reports from G.Is that were on the old subs. I'll look
>
>> for Golka's notes on that and post a copy here when I find it.
>
>I think the relevant parameter is a bunch of current, sub batteries or 750
>kVA distribution transformer or whatever. There is a bit of literature
>which talks about these switch gear induced plasma balls being distinctly
>greenish (Cu ion emission?). Perhaps the arc blows off a cloud of copper
>(or Al or whatever) particles which then burn down in a manner similar to
>the carbon in the microwave candle scheme.  As pointed out in a previous
>post, an emission spectra would be the desired thing here... Anyone out
>there with a good diffraction grating and a fast camera.....
>
>
>
>