Re: Interesting Skin Depth Data

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Interesting Skin Depth Data
• From: "Mark Broker" <broker-at-uwplatt.edu> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 16:24:45 -0700
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Tesla List wrote:

> Original Poster: "Alex Crow" <user-at-alexcrow.clara-dot-net>
>
> Dale,
>
> If the arc event is of such high frequency, what is it that causes the pain
> from
> a power arc taken to the body, even via a small metal object? I was pulling
> arcs
> off Brian Basura's mini-twin with a car-key, and if you got too close and the
> arc became brighter, there was a noticeable prickling and muscular
> sensation. Is
> this due to sharp pulses of one polarity from Ctop? The arc frequency might
> become isolated from the ground as regards the Xl of the secondary, but the
> conduction path is of low enough resistance to provide paths from all
> transients
> (and of course, as we know, potentially lethal 50Hz).
>

<snip>

The physics dpt has a small, professionally built bipolar coil.  It's
powered by
a 15/30, with a rolled cap with cardboard as a dielectric (it sits in a 5-gal
bucket.....)  The single static gap is set at ~1/16" (any more and the
secondary
breaks down...).  It produces whimpy 6" sparks between the two electrodes....

We frequently demo the coil at elemetary and middle schools by taking arcs
off it
while holding a flourescent light, ect.  We feel no pain as long as we take an
arc with a key, and, to my knowledge, no one has ever been injured while
"playing" with the coil in this manner.  I know that some people have gotten
small burns by not using the key, however.

I refuse to let anyone do that with my 1.8kW coil (when I'm finally done with
construction).

Mark

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