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Re: Spark Gap Gasses Experiment
"So, what does this have to do with TCs? Two thoughts:
For one thing, we can certainly benefit from these spark gap pioneers to
improve spark gap quench. Apparently, if one is careful, one can use
alcohol dripping on the hot spark gap electrode to generate a hydrogen
atmosphere. The heat decomposes the alcohol (or kerosene) into
hydrogen.
Of course, the spark chamber must be free of oxygen to avoid an
explosion.
The old timers also used "illuminating gas" which would also break down
into hydrogen. Would natural gas do the same thing? Running natural
gas
in a spark chamber for a minute or so would drive out the air and should
then be safe to turn on the juice. See the above web sites for
interesting
details of these arc systems.
And what about winding a few turns of conductor going to and from the
spark
gap to generate strong magnetic fields to help "blow out" the spark?
The
hundreds to thousands of peak amps through a few turns of copper tubing
on
either side of a spark gap should generate a very strong magnetic field.
Secondly, these arc transmitter ideas obviously can be applied to
driving a
tesla coil without the need for high voltages. I suppose this has
actually
been done, but I am not aware of any references describing an actual
setup
and results. I would be interested in what the DC input power to RF
power
conversion efficiency would be for a 500 volt 20 amp (10 KW) Poulsen
oscillator/tesla coil, for example. I am guessing efficiency would be
lousy, much worse than a more traditional high voltage powered TC.
I would enjoy your comments and further ideas on this subject.
--Steve Young "
One of those big arc transmitters would undoubtedly be a neat driver
for a CW T.C. Among the problems would be the construction of the
quenching magnets. A big construction job if one started over, but I
sure wish someone would do it. By the way, I've built very small arc
oscillators here (half amp at 120 VDC) and they worked, but were not at
all practical because of their crudeness. To make the thing work right
requires a bunch of mechanical construction which dampens the enthusiasm
of one who is too lazy to do it right. My oscillators didn't put out
any real power, but would produce circulating current of over an amp in
the tank circuit, when operating at about 300 kHz. Oscillated up to
1800 kHz, but no power and no current.
Might be of interest to someone that the field coil from a big Federal
arc transmitter was used in early cyclotron work at CAL.
Many thanks for those neat web addresses.
Ed