Original poster: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> At 09:29 PM 1/19/2006, you wrote:
Original poster: FIFTYGUY@xxxxxxxIn a message dated 1/19/06 3:16:43 PM Eastern Standard Time, tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:>Hollow tubing is definitely better than solid copper >rod of equal outer diameter for spark gap electrodes >as heat dissipation is much better with a hollow tube. Why?Any data to verify this, or that overall performance is better with tubing? I've often thought about it, and I wonder if the thermal mass of the solid bar more than compensates for the surface area of the tubing.
When it comes to heat transfer (which is what you're doing here), surface area is the thing. The tube has area on both the inside and the outside through which air can flow to carry the heat away.
Increased mass may keep it cooler for a time, but it's like a big capacitor, it just delays the inevitable.
My problem is getting motivated to purchase and hack up three feet of 3/4" copper bar to test next to tubing...-Phil LaBudde(I figure if solid bar doesn't work better, I could always salvage it by turning it down into bullets)