Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 22:01:24 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

From: 	Malcolm Watts[SMTP:MALCOLM-at-directorate.wnp.ac.nz]
Sent: 	Friday, November 21, 1997 6:51 PM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length

I too have found that dry air is particularly good for longest sparks.
A great test for best conditions is to check how much static you can 
generate by dragging your feet in insulated soles on a carpet. I set 
up an e.s. voltmeter here at work in one room. We also use it to 
demonstrate the hazards of using carpets in computer rooms, workshops
where e.s. sensitive components are worked on etc. It gave the 
computer service group here something of a "shock" when they realized 
the qualities of the carpet in their room.......

Malcolm

> From:   Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz[SMTP:acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br]
> Sent:   Thursday, November 20, 1997 11:08 PM
> To:     Tesla List
> Subject:    Re: Air Temp/Humidity and Spark Length
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Humidity certainly affects the formation of sparks. I have more
> experience with electrostatic generators, and what I observe is
> that loooong sparks can only be obtained in very dry air. With
> humid air, apparently the charges escape more easily to the air,
> and even if the generator is carefully dried with hot air, what is 
> obtained instead of long sparks is only a bluish glow at the 
> high-voltage terminals.
> In the case mentioned, the exposition to humid air
> can explain the bad results outdoors. Reducing the size of the
> terminal may have increased the strength of the electrical field
> around the toroid, causing a spark, even at lower voltage.
> Or simply the air humidity decreased at that time.
> 
> -- 
> Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz