Re: Triggered Spark Gap

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Original poster: "Jason Petrou by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jasonp-at-btinternet-dot-com>

Alan,

I worked on designs for wierd TSGs about a year ago, in february. I came up
with some wierd solutions such as the mercury sparkgap (which never needed
cleaning/electrode replacement) and an energy pulsed gap, which was
basically the same thing as you are describing - feed energy to the metal in
the form of EM radiation to make it change its electron configuration -
however on doing the research I found that it needs far too much energy to
become viable in a non-vaccum. Much easier is to fire a laser across the gap
so that it becomes ionised, or using a UV flash tube for the same purpose -
sorry but your method would never work :) Hwever the physics are sound :)

Best R,
Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2001 5:32 AM
Subject: Triggered Spark Gap


> Original poster: "Kelly & Phillipa Williams by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <kellyw-at-ihug.co.nz>
>
> Dear All,
>
> While reading my physics textbook this week I came up with a really neat,
if
> fairly esoteric, idea for a triggered spark gap.
>
> All metals have a certain energy barrier preventing electrons from leaving
> the surface of the metal. (Analougous to a rounded curb at the edge of a
> flat road, it keeps a slow-moving soccer ball on the road unless it is
> kicked hard enough.) This energy can be provided by heating the metal very
> hot (thermionic emission),
>
> Or by bombarding the metal with photons (light) of a high enough frequency
> so that when an electron on the surface absorbs a photon, it jumps off the
> metal.
>
> Now suppose an enclosed spark gap in a box, surrounded by an xenon
> flash-tube or similar source of light.
> The electrodes a slightly too far for the voltage to jump alone, but when
> the tube flashes and the electrons jump off the metal they ionise gas and
> fly across to the other electrode, thus initiating the spark. I know this
> effect occurs in a slight vacuum, but I would have to investigate it's
> effect in air.
>
> The only problem is that the cut-off frequency for this emission for many
> metals, and tungsten too I would imagine, is in the ultraviolet range and
> slightly above.
>
> Could those with a working knowledge of x-ray tubes tell me whether an
x-ray
> tube can be PULSED at 100 (50 Hz)
> or 120 (60Hz) to trigger a gap like this? Forced air quenching may also be
> necessary, although this technique could be applied to a single static gap
> all the way through a multi-gap-static-gap, provided the metal of the gap
> itself was exposed.
>
> I would very much appreciate knowing whether vacuum tubes can be pulsed -
> maybe a pulsed supply to the x-ray tranny, would that work?
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Alan Williams
>
>
>