Re: Liquid-cooled spark gap

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Liquid-cooled spark gap
• From: Jim Lux <jimlux-at-jpl.nasa.gov> (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
• Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 17:34:31 -0600
• Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Original Poster: Stefan Bishay <stefan00-at-gte-dot-net>
> 
> Hello All, I am faced with an interesting dilemma. A liquid of some sort
> will be used to cool my new spark gap, but what should I use? I would like
> to be able to use a standard water pump for this, so I was thinking of
> using isopropyl alcohol as the coolant. Any better ideas?
> 
> Stefan Bishay - KC7SJC
> Seattle, WA
> ICQ 2141646

What is wrong with deionized water?

Alcohol is flammable. If you want something non-water, I would suggest
something like one of the glycols. ethylene glycol is used as auto
antifreeze (with additives like sodium chromate) but is wretchedly toxic
if you consume it. Propylene glycol  is less toxic (they put it in soft
drinks). All of the glycols are really hygroscopic (they are used for
dehydrating in industry, among other uses), as are all the alcohols
(which is why the isopropyl is typically sold as 70%, not 100%).

If you have money to burn, and you want the ultimate in cooling fluids,
one of the silicones like Fluorinert(tm) would do you. Inert, high heat
capacity, cools either by conduction or by evaporation (and it has a
high oxygen solubility, so that they can do the demo with the mouse
immersed in the liquid). The only problem is that it costs $100+/gallon.

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