Re: async rotory gap?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Dr. Duncan Cadd by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <dunckx-at-freeuk-dot-com>

Hi Marc, All!

>are the disks notched at the edges to make and break the arc? if not
>then how is the quench controlled?


No, the disks are dead smooth all round.  The quench is obtained
simply by a combination of the rapid motion of the sparking surface,
so that the spark is always occurring from a cool piece of metal, and
the flow of air produced by friction with the disk which serves to
cool the disk and blow a current of air into the sparking zone (and
just about everywhere else too).  I have a photo of the Clifden
(Marconi's Irish site) rotary gap 1908 I can post if my ISPs line will
let me (problems again!) - with any luck it will shortly appear on
http://hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/ as clifdengap.jpg - that's a couple of
10kV sparks (in series for a total of 20kV) at 300kVA you can see in
the photo.

Dunckx
Geek#1113 (G-1)