Re: New 8 second long 550 kV Power Arc

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: DRIEBEN-at-midsouth.rr-dot-com 

Mike,

It seems that you have done some experimentation in this area. I would think
that the idea of increasing the voltage with the amperage would apply too, in
this case. For example , a 200+ amp arc welder will easily put out 10 kVA or
more but I don't think your going to be able to pull a 3 ft. arc with your
welding rod simply because the voltage is way too low (<50 volts). I have
pulled out 6 to 8" of arc in this manor, though, by touching the welding
rod to the work surface and quickly pulling the rod away ;^)

It would be interesting to see the results of extensive tests in this area.
I agree, someone needs to get Bill Gates personally interested in HV ;^)

David Rieben

----- Original Message -----
From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Date: Monday, December 15, 2003 9:01 am
Subject: Re: New 8 second long 550 kV Power Arc

 > Original poster: "RIAA/MPAA's Worst Nightmare"
 > <mike.marcum-at-zoomtown-dot-com>
 >
 > Not sure about MVA levels (anyone know one of Bill Gates' phone
 > numbers so I
 > can test this?), but everything I've done from a  230 va obit to
 > 50 kVA
 > (actually was closer to 55 before the breakers popped and the
 > utility and
 > neighborhood complained) the 3.3-3.5 kVA/foot rule applies. In
 > think the
 > catch is to increase voltage along with current. With a 14.4 kv pig,
 > increasing current much beyond an amp actually stops the arc from
 > climbingas high up the ladder. Not sure, but seems to be blown out
 > with its own
 > magnetic field before long once it starts. I got around 17 feet
 > with 69 kv,
 > ~800mA. Unfortunately I sold the pigs when I moved from Stanberry
 > MO to here
 > in Cincinnati a few years ago. (The (2) 34.5 kv 25 kvA pigs
 > weighed over
 > 1000 lbs each, not something easy and cheap to move if you have no
 > garage to
 > put them in). I'm guessing as long as  the voltage/current ratio
 > is around
 > 1A/50kv or so and a huge air mass was perfectly still (unlikely when
 > measured in  miles) it's close to linear.