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Re: Rotary spark gaps



Original poster: "Gregory Hunter by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ghunter31014-at-yahoo-dot-com>

Hi Greg,

The flying electrodes can get smoking hot. I'm
inclined to throw in with the others and suggest you
not use polyethylene as RSG rotor disk material.
Honestly, I don't like any thermoplastic for this
purpose as it is too vulnerable to melting or
shattering under the multiple stresses of RSG service.
G10 is the material of choice if you can get it. I
couldn't afford G10, so I used a 4-deep stack of
unclad printed circuit board stock to make an
indestructable fiberglass disk 1/4 inch (6mm) thick.
Unlike G10 blanks, circuit card stock is available as
surplus almost everywhere.

Another oddball possibility--how about an Aluminum
rotor disk? It's hard to beat the physical properties
of thick Aluminum plate for an RSG disk. I know it
sounds nutty, as the assumption is that the HV is
going to instantly destroy the RSG motor. However, one
of the Geek Groupies built just such an RSG and got
away with it. No kidding--he chucked the Al disk right
on the motor shaft and ran a powerful MOT coil with
it. The RSG motor survived. I plan to try the
Geek-style un-insulated Aluminum RSG disk idea myself
as soon as I have two minutes to call my own.

Regards,

Greg
http://hot-streamer-dot-com/greg

--- Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:
> Original poster: "Mr Gregory Peters by way of Terry
> Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <s371034-at-student.uq.edu.au>
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I was wondering how how the rotating electrodes on a
> ~10kVA RSG get? 
> The reason I ask is I want to use 1/2" LDPE as a
> rotor. I can get this 
> easy and cheaply from a cutting board. It seems
> strong enough as I have 
> mounted two bolts in one and tried pulling them
> apart with vice grips - 
> I can't. What I am worried about is the rather low
> (somewhere around 
> 130 Oc) melting point. If the electrodes get hot and
> melt the plastic 
> I've got problems. Has anyone ever used it before?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Greg Peters
> Department of Earth Sciences,
> University of Queensland, Australia
> Phone: 0402 841 677
> http://www.geocities-dot-com/gregjpeters
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


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