Re: My spark gap

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: My spark gap
From: "Ruud de Graaf" <rdegraaf-at-daxis.nl> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 16:23:32 -0600
Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

> Original Poster: "Brad DiGiovine" <Guido28-at-mediaone-dot-net>
>
> To all,
> This is my first spark gap i have made, and i am wondering what you all
> think of it.  It is made out of sch80 4"pvc and 8 solid brass cabinet
> knobs (which i bought at home depot), a wooden box, and a box fan.
> Comments, suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Brad DiGiovine
>

Nice art Brad! It's difficult to critisize a man's work when it's already
done, but remember, you asked for it!

You better loose the wooden box, it has no function and the air stream
coming out the vent will collide with the air reflected from the opposite
wall, doing not much more than heating up the air. Mounting the vent direct
on the PVC tube with suitable L-pieces with holes in it, will be an
improvement. (When you don't like me already, stop reading this!)

One problem stay's however: the vent only cooles a little bit and will not
be of much help in quenching. With this type of vent the speed of the air
will be highest at the legs (steels?) of the knobs. Using pieces of copper
tubing directly mounted on the inside of the PVC tube could be a better
place in respect of the air-flow, especially when the center room is covered
up in that situation to increase the air flow even more.

When your power supply will be uppgraded (believe me, it will) the latter
gap form can easily be upgraded by using a vacuum cleaner motor, closing up
the PVC tube on the open end and making holes in the side wand of the PVC
tube to let the air stream only go between the cupper tubes. Then it will be
quite a help in quenching also.

Greetings from Holland,

Ruud.