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Re: Spark Gap Gasses Experiment



Terry,

Good luck on the argon gap! For significantly better quenching, and
perhaps greater cooling efficiency, hydrogen gas may be the best choice
of fill gas. 

Also, if you plan to seal the gap, you may be able to get by with just
air, since the most of the initial oxygen in the entrapped air will
fairly quickly combine with the copper, and further oxidation should
then stop. In the early days of spark radio, this approach was used in
sealed quenching sparkgaps with excellent success. 

-- Bert --


Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Original Poster: Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>
> 
> Hi Jim,
> 
> As a result of this experiment I have begun work on an argon enclosed gap.
> 
> I found that the argon prevents gap fouling.  The copper does sputter off a
> bit but the metal tends to return to the electrode surfaces as a clean
> copper coating.  With large electrodes and a powerful fan enclosed with the
> electrodes, such a gap should be able handle very high power, not foul,
> provide excellent quenching, last a very long time, be maintenance free,
> and be somewhat adjustable.
> 
><SNIP>
> 
>         Terry Fritz
> 
<SNIP>