Re: TC Sparks and Arcs (Was - High Voltage Snubber caps

["Richard Kircher" <richard.kircher-at-worldnet.att-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Hey Sundog, those are excellent defnitions.  I would have nit-picked the
arc definition because nothing is continuous (forever), but your examples
made it clear that you meant capable of being continous unlike the spark.
Good posting, probably worth more than 2 cents.
Tnx, Dick. 

At 10:33 PM 7/29/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Original poster: "sundog" <sundog-at-timeship-dot-net> 
>
>Hi all!
>
>Just my $.02 (wow, I though I'd be broke with all these $.02 going
>out all the time!)
>
>  Spark....A little (or big) single-shot purple to white discharge
>between 2 points... static zap, lightening, VanDeGraff, ignition
>coil, etc...
>
>  Arc... a continious discharge between 2 points....an arc between
>neon tranny leads, a MOT powerarc, arc welder, etc...
>
>   Streamer....Bullying enough electrons off of a conductive
>surface so you get a "single ended arc", it's only connected at 1
>end, the other wanders about looking for a ground till it runs out
>of energy
>
>   Corona...A small (usually) seething mass of teeny-tiny little
>streamers.  The purple glow on SW caps, the "purple fuzz" on a
>transmission line from a TC topload.  Corona happens easiest in
>air, and is what kill home-rolled caps by breaking down the poly we
>used (past tense, everybody should use commercial pulse caps or
>MMC's ;), so that the plates can arc to each other.  Unless you're
>wanting to create it, corona is a Bad Thing(tm), because it means
>you're leaking your HV out of your circuit.
>
>  Corona...also a pretty good beer.  And like the electrical
>corona, it's fairly unwanted and detrimental to TC work.  Make
>streamers and arcs first, then experience the liquid corona :)
>
>Yep, a 54" arc is possible.  A good, big TC can put out a 54" arc
>to a grounded target.  for a transformer to pull a nice thick
>yellow arc for 54", you'd probably need an obscene amount of
>amperage on a 15kv transformer to maintain the arc.  Be fun to see
>though...a 20 ft tall Jacob's ladder stretching out a 4.5' arc at
>the top.
>
>BzzzzZZZZZZZZT!  BzzzzzZZZZZZZZZT!  Yeah baby!  I'd buy a ticket to
>see that!
>
>                                            Caio!
>                                                    Sundog
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tesla list <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>Date: Saturday, July 29, 2000 2:48 PM
>Subject: Re: TC Sparks and Arcs (Was - High Voltage Snubber caps
>
>
>>Original poster: Parpp807-at-aol-dot-com
>>
>>In a message dated 7/28/00 8:57:51 PM Central Daylight Time,
>tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>>writes:
>>
>><< To All -
>>
>> What are the definitions and differences  between sparks, arcs,
>streamers,
>> corona, etc. Is a 54 inch arc possible?
>>
>> John Couture
>>  >>
>>
>