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Re: cryogenic spark gap?
From: Ted[SMTP:tedric-at-generation-dot-net]
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 1997 3:47 AM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: cryogenic spark gap?
>From: Robert W. Stephens[SMTP:rwstephens-at-headwaters-dot-com]
>Reply To: rwstephens-at-headwaters-dot-com
>Sent: Thursday, November 06, 1997 8:18 PM
>To: Tesla List
>Subject: Re: cryogenic spark gap?
>
>>
>> From: David Huffman[SMTP:huffman-at-FNAL.GOV]
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 1997 8:33 AM
>> To: Tesla List
>> Subject: cryogenic spark gap?
>>
>> Has anyone ever tried putting a spark gap in LN2?
>> D. Huffman
>>
>Dave,
>
>I don't have my cryo reference books handy but I recall LN2 expands
>something like 700 or 1000 times in volume going from liquid to gas state. By
>pumping real energy through your gap, this phase change would be
>inevitable. I'm afraid you'd have a dangerous explosion situation.
>There is an undesireable condition which can occur within certain
>cryo dewars employed to store liquid gasses at near room pressure.
>Something is placed at the bottom of the dewar like a dab of vacuum
>grease to form a continuous string of rising gas bubbles. If this is not
employed
>the entire volume of liquified gas, LN2 for example can spontaneously go
from a
>liquid to gas state causing that undesired explosion effect. Imagine
>a gallon of LN2 converting instantaneously to gas state. Your lab
>would look like the Federal Building at Oklahoma.
>
>rwstephens
rwstephens,
It sounds like a liquid nitrogen version of water-arc laucher. However,
water-arc generates high pressure is not because of the heating effect of
plasma. In fact, after the process, the remaining water is only lure warm.
TCBOR did some experiments about it. I saw Richard Hull demonstrated it on
TV, he also wrote an article in ESJ and has some video reports about it. I
am wondering how fast can water quench a gap.
Also, in my own mini water-arc experiment, I found that arc (or spark)
lenght can increase like ten times if you try to discharge a capacitor on
the SURFACE of water. (the power supply is "on")
Ted