[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
RE: Tesla's capacitors
From: richard hull[SMTP:rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 1997 8:30 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Tesla's capacitors
At 11:32 PM 7/27/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
>From: Alfred A. Skrocki[SMTP:alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com]
>Reply To: alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com
>Sent: Saturday, July 26, 1997 1:37 PM
>To: Tesla List
>Subject: Re: Tesla's capacitors
>
>richard hull
>[SMTP:rhull-at-richmond.infi-dot-net] wrote;
>> >Tesla used only salt water capacitors for his big stuff!!! For extremely
>
>> minature medical and demo systems he had mica capacitors constructed. Mica
>> could never be used in his big systems. His voltages were far too high.
>
>Richard considering that mica has the highest dialectric strength
>of any known material and in Tesla's time capacitor grade mica was
>aplenty, I would say it wasn't because his voltages were too high
>but beause his finnances were too low! Empty mineral water bottles
>and salt water were just about free for the taking but mica even back
>then was expensive!
>
> Sincerely
>
> \\\|///
> \\ ~ ~ //
> ( -at- -at- )
> -----o00o-(_)-o00o-----
> Alfred A. Skrocki
> alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com
> .ooo0 0ooo.
> -----( )---( )-----
> \ ( ) /
> \_) (_/
>
>Alfred,
At the time of Tesla's Colorado adventure he had super big bucks given him
by John Jacob Astor to finance the expedition. He spent thousands of 1899
bucks on balloons he never used once in Colorado. A few hundred on Mica
caps would not had made him flinch, especially as regards his masterpiece in
Colorado. He just chose salt water caps for repair purposes!
He knew he would be killing caps in Colorado. He also knew that Colorado
was not a Mecca for cutting edge electrical supplies. He built for instant
repair in a hostile environment with only the simplest and readily at hand
materials. Micas, when blown, are just not repairable! (at least by Tesla's
construction methods.)
Mica in V1 grade (best) is still no real match for junk grade polypropylene
except as regards volumetric efficiency. I have worked with the stuff
extensively and it sucks compared to modern polymers for use in disruptively
discharged Tesla systems.
Richard Hull, TCBOR
>
>