Tungsten gap erosion

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

Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>

Hi All,

In a triggered spark gap.  There is no spinning rotor or bunch of copper
sections to help cool the gap.  So I was thinking of just two water cooled
1/8 inch tungsten electrodes.  No fan or anything else.  Just the tungsten
tips thermally linked to a water jacket with heavy copper mounting.
Although no tungsten tips yet, sort of along the lines of:

http://hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/ProtoSTSG.jpg

I was wondering how fast the tungsten tips may erode or wear out with say a
900 watt coil.  They would stay cool (if 300C is cool :-)) but 120 times
per second, they would be firing without too much air circulation.

Just in idea I am working on and searching for tips ;-))

I like to avoid fans since they tend to be battery powered to avoid
worrying with another AC line going to the coil area...

Also, can tungsten and/or tungsten carbide be soldered or brazed?  I note
tool bits and blades have tungsten tips that look brazed but I did not know
if that was something a regular guy could do with a torch?

I hope to get some testing done with Marc's electrodes and some of this
triggered gap stuff this weekend :-))  Also thinking along the lines of a
really reliable long life gap for Ted's coil.

Cheers,

	Terry