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Re: spark energies
Some thoughts on this interesting post...
> I just got to thinkin' deeper over a "samich" at lunch. In my post on
> spark energy, I would literaly have to account for all energies created
> by the sparks themselves in my scenario.
>
> Help me out guys.
>
> I have tried to think of all the posibilities, but doubt I have covered
> them all. A mental conclave might be in order. I have also opted for a
> large 15" spherical lucite ball which I have as the sparking chamber.
> This material is a poor conductor of heat and a blanket of R-19
> insulation over the ball should trap most of the heat within provided
> quick mesurements are made. I hope to use my little 15VA coil system on
> this one.
>
> I will, unfortunately, be unable to use a toroid in the chamber due to
> its thermal mass screwing with the air temperature. A small tungsten
> pointed needle will be the discharge point. (low thermal mass).
>
> As the spark rips through the air it disappates its energy in the form of
> light, noise, heat, and ion production (which ultimately winds up as heat
> as the ions recombine). In air, sparks produce little RF energy, but a
> grounded arc channel produces short waves at a prodigious rate. (must
> avoid spark hits in my test).
Thinks: In a lightning strike, we have several major components of
energy dissipation : heating in the channel which ends up as a
violent compression wave, light radiation (thunder happens as well
as light so both forms should be counted), energy gone into molecular
bonds (creation of ozone, NOx), some heat _radiation_......? The
conductive heating has got to be calorimeter territory I think. The
pressure of the wavefront could be measured taking into account area,
distance....
Afew ideas thrown into the pot. Any use? Sorry for the repetition.
Malcolm
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