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Re: TC Electrostatics (fwd)
12/10/96
Ed wrote:
>> >
>> >Another possible experiment would be to directly measure the DC
>> >component of the current at the base of the tesla coil.
>> >Unfortunately, I'd guess that DC current component would be about
>> >the order of a small Van De Graf --- maybe 10-100 microamps.
>> >
>> >-Ed Harris
>> >
>>
>> I have recently performed a series of experiments measuring TC base
>> currents using a Weston Thermo-galvanometer. These preliminary
>> experiments indicate that the major currents in TC output are
>> electrostatic in nature. Currents appear to be about three orders
>> of magnitude larger than above -- about 10-100 milliamps in the low
>> power experimental range selected.
>> RWW
>>
>Snip
>
>Well that's great! But I have a question: How does your meter seperate
>the AC and DC components? Are you sure that the majority of the
>current in the TC secondary output is DC --- NOT AC? It seems
>unlikely that the "rectified" currents swamp the AC currents which
>produce them.
>
>-Ed Harris
>
The thermo-galvanometer converts both AC, -DC and +DC currents to heat
resistively which drives a thermo couple producing DC current. This
resistance conversion of currents integrates all currents to rms
energy. Wave form doesn't matter with this meter. The meter doesn't
separate AC and DC. Separation and measurement of EM and electrostatic
electricity is up to us. That's the emphasis of the of the last three
series of my experiments: measuring TC output with ESVM, measuring base
current with a thermo-galvanometer shunted with various components and
measuring base current with a thermo-galvanometer in series with
various components.
The advantage of measuring base currents is that the charge vector from
the top terminal becomes irrelevant. A dependant variable has been
eliminated in our experiments for the time being at least.
You are falling into the trap of assuming there is "rectification"
of AC into DC current that swamps the AC current. There is probably
little if any rectification. There are two types of electricity and
two distinct types of current in a classic TC.
RWW