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Re: hydrogen in spark gaps
From: Jim Lux[SMTP:jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net]
Sent: Sunday, November 30, 1997 3:44 PM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: hydrogen in spark gaps
> This would
> make a wonderful spark gap for Tesla coil use but (Disclaimer:) would be
too
> dangerous for experimentalist use as it would require absolutely pure
> hydrogen gas to prevent spark gap (experimentalist) demise!
Fruengel used hydrogen quenched gaps quite extensively in his work. They
also use hydrogen as a coolant in high power generators: low viscosity (low
windage (air drag) loss), good thermal conductivity, reasonable insulator.
Just keep the oxygen percentage below 4 percent and it won't burn, i.e.
keep your system under positive pressure.
A bigger problem is that hydrogen leaks through almost everything,
including metal, so you should keep your hydrogen filled stuff in a well
ventilated environment, so that the environmental hydrogen concentration
stays below the lower flammable limit ( a few percent).
Hydrogen thyratrons are filled with hydrogen (of course) but I think they
use a palladium reservoir which is heated to boil off the hydrogen.
I think hydrogen would be worth investigating. It is cheap and readily
available, particularly at low pressures.