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Re: How does a rotary spark gap quench
In a message dated 99-04-18 00:50:19 EDT, you write:
<< John Freau,
> A few days ago you wrote me a letter saying that spark gaps do not
> normally quench by the electrodes moving apart. How DO they quench? I
> merely heard it explained to me that way by several other people.
> However, I would love to have an alternate theory to investigate and
> debate with people. Please let me (and everyone else on the list) know
> how a rotary spark gap achieves better quenching than a static spark gap.
> Brent Caldwell
> "Stretch Monster"
>>
Brent,
I would say that they quench the same way that static gaps quench;
the tank rings down, the energy transfers to the secondary, the cap
is discharged, and no energy remains to keep the gap firing, so it
quenches. The gaps can't fire again until the capacitor charges
high enough to fire across the gap. Of course in the rotary, the
firing can't occur until the electrodes rotate into alignment. I have
posted this a number of times in the past on this list, it is nothing
new anyway. Cooling is a factor too. Rotaries tend to run cooler
for a given amount of power. Cool operation results in better
quenching due to less residual ionization.
John Freau