[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: Ultraviolet light from brush discharge.



Jim Lux is right!

Years ago (around July, 1977,) I had my first (and second to my
last) opportunity, to travel to Wendover, Utah (to the all-but-
abandoned USAF air strip there,) where Robert Golka had set up
his "Project Tesla."  Bob had a small coil which I had custom
built for him.  It was roughly a Model 4-size coil.  He wanted me
to chrome-plate the 8" hollow copper sphere he wanted for a
discharge electrode, and I did that.  Originally, the coil ran from
a multiple segment air-cooled stationary spark gap, and the tank
capacitors were two 0.02 mfd units rated at 20 KV ea. and these
were connected in parallel for a total of 0.04 mfd.  The caps were
mylar types (extended foil design) made by Axcel, as I recall.
The poere came from a 9 KV 240 ma ( ! ) neon transformer (you
don't see many of those animals!)  Bob wanted to try feeding this
coil more power, and he had an Amertran plate transformer, rated
for 2 KVa -at- 17.2 KV.  He had "industrial power" going into
the hanger (where his big coil was set up.)  So it was *no
problem* to feed over 100 amps at 120 volts (into) that little
plate transformer!  The only other change made was the spark gap.
We "fashioned" a make-shift two-segment stationary spark gap,
out of pieces of solid zinc bar stock, that was 1/2" square.  These
were arranged so that as Bob "closed the switch," I was to apply
a 125 PSI air blast from a huge air compressor, across the two
gaps.  This gap was made outboard from the base of the Tesla
coil, on a small board on the table where the coil was placed.
So it was at about waste height, as I stood there in front of
this contraption.  

I *knew* better then to even "glance" at looking at the very intense
blue-white light produced by this gap, as I tried to aim and direct 
the air blast to just the right position as the coil ran.  The arcs 
this coil produced, were about 4 feet in length, and they had the 
same visual characteristic as from a Jacob's Ladder run by a neon
sign transformer.  Only they were 4 feet in lenght.  It even
burned the chrome plating right off the copper sphere!  And it
also fianlly arced right down the center of the phenoilc secondary
coil form so much, that in an instant, the coil was ruined.  The caps
were so hot that they started hemoraging their internal oil.  The
power transformer got so hot, its oil was literally boiling inside
the steel case! 

Now for the part that relates to this post respnse.  I *never* looked
directly at the gap I was forcing the air blast on.  However, my face
(and eyes) were none-the-less, exposed to (indirect) UV very
intense light, and my face became severly sunburned!  At first, my
eyes started watering, and the next morning, I could not see at all!
Talk about that "sandpaper in your eyes feeling!"  I was really
scared that I had done perminent damage to both my eyes.  It took
me three days to be able to look at bright sunlight without severe
pain.  Needless to say, I learned a "school of hard knocks" lesson
that time.  Fortunately, I did no permanent eye damage, but again
one can never be really sure.

*WACTH WHAT YOU WATCH WITH YOUR EYES!*

Best regards,
Bill Wysock. 

> Date:          Mon, 13 Mar 2000 11:32:14 -0700
> To:            tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject:       Re: Ultraviolet light from brush discharge.
> From:          Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>

> Original Poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-jpl.nasa.gov> 
> 
> When it feels like you've got sand in your eyes.. you've over done it..
> 
> 
> ----------
> > From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
> > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> > Subject: Ultraviolet light from brush discharge.
> > Date: Monday, March 13, 2000 1:40 AM
> > 
> > Original Poster: Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>
> > 
> > Hi All,
> > 
> > 	While running my CW coil in very low light, I noticed that paper and a
> few
> > light colored cloths fluoresce as if under black light.  It was not real
> > intense but I was wondering if it is maybe not a good idea to stare at
> the
> > discharge for lengths of time.  I don't see the discharged "burned" into
> my
> > retina if I close my eyes or anything, but I thought I would ask. 
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > 
> > 	Terry
> > 
> 
> 
> 
___________________________
Tesla Technology Research