Re: GB> Chaffee Spark Gap

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

Original poster: "Wells Campbell by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <wellscampbell-at-onebox-dot-com>

Hi
sorry to play the dummy here, but this all sounds really interesting,
could you run down a couple of things to a non-expert? like describe
basically what a poulson arc is and does, is it similar to a quench gap?

And the probable environment in the gap in the article? It said moist
hydrogen in nitrogen, if I remember correctly? Is that at sea level pressure,
or more, or less? what would be purity concerns, (besides eliminating
the o2!) 

Would the alcohol vapor have to be pure alcohol, or would this too be
in nitrogen? Could you "prime" such a gap by running  a spark through
alcohol and air with an outlet hole and burn off the 02, then seal it
and run it? It seems that if small enough a cavity is made, then the
amount of alcohol needed would be very small (teaspoon at a time)? If
list members are shooting hair net into the backs of spud guns for four
seconds (tee hee), it couldn't be that dangerous, could it?

curious

-- 
Wells Campbell
wellscampbell-at-onebox-dot-com - email




---- "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:
> Original poster: "Mike Nolley by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <nolleym-at-willamette.edu>
> 
> >   Originally the gap was run in an atmosphere of moist hydrogen,
> but
> > hydrogen being difficult to obtain in ordinary practice, it was found
> by
> > Cutting and Washington that alcohol vapor could be substituted, provided
> it was
> > distilled into the gap
> 
> Sounds a little like the Poulsen Arc, except the electrodes are aluminum
> and copper.
> Fairly little research has been done on this list with regard to using
> hydrogen gas
> or alchohol vapor as a quenching medium.  This is due to the danger
> of
> using flammable
> gases.  Methinks however that this concern pales in comparison with
> the
> dangers of hv.
> Maybe when I finally de-bug my 10 kw Poulsen Arc the list will take
> notice.
>  Thanks for the
> interesting post.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

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