Re: spark gaps

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: spark gaps
From: Bert Hickman <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-com>
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 09:29:09 -0700

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From rwstephens-at-ptbo.igs-dot-netTue Oct 22 21:44:46 1996
> Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 22:04:58 -0500
> From: "Robert W. Stephens" <rwstephens-at-ptbo.igs-dot-net>
<SNIP>
> 
> All,
> 
> I've been meaning to share my thoughts on the use of a vacuum cleaner
> blower to negatively pressurize a fixed gap spark gap container and
> draw outside air through the gaps and then after electro-treating the
> nitrogen in the air into nitric acid and the oxygen onto ozone, this
> nasty stuff gets sucked through the windings of the blower motor,
> since vacuum cleaner blower motors are designed that the air sucked by them
> passes over and through the motor windings for cooling.  Has anyone ever
> heard of the concept that ozone attacks electric motor insulation and shortens
> motor life?  Somehow this design concept appears flawed to me.
> 
> rwstephens

Robert,

American Science and Surplus has a high speed 120 V vacuum
motor/assembly ($12.00) that sucks clean air through the motor! I just
replaced my previously zapped motor, and discovered that the little fan
on the motor shaft at the top draws clean air through the motor and into
the vacuum chamber. This probably reduces the total vacuum you can draw,
but otherwise it seems to run OK! Maybe it was a manufacturing screw-up,
and this is why they're surplus!

-- Bert --