Re: High Voltage Question

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

Original poster: "William R. Langston by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <blangsto-at-iwvisp-dot-com>

As I recall, the 60 Hz unit was a bank of three transformers, each feeding
the next. The units were of
different hights, shortest to tallest, with the large diameter, smooth
finish toroids connected to the
input of the next leg by what appeared to be large diameter Al tubing. All
discharge was from the
largest, and highest, of the toroid-topped units. There was no visible
spark gap equipment that could be
readily associated with these transformers, so I trust my memory about then
running at line frequency.
Oddly, I recall being impressed as all get out with the discharge arc;
though, for the life of me I
cannot recall what it looked like. The large discharge from the Marx units
(I think that was what they
were) stands out in my memory as the 'big draw.'
.
We were all on an upper balcony with wire mesh and a strike rail mounted in
front of us. All the 'fun'
was taking place on the floor, approximately 12 feet below us. The operator
was in a total cage with his
remotes (it looked a bit like chicken wire from where I was standing).

Since I was in my early teens at the time, I cannot be sure of the linear
distance that the Marx units
(if that was the kind of stack they were using... probably was though) were
set apart. I do recall that
it was much further than in the photo reprint you put on the list. They
charged then fired them
repeatedly for us; once in a directed discharge to the top of a building
model sat on the floor midway
between them... blew it to bits as I recall. A great time was had by all ;-)

Bill L.

Tesla list wrote:

> Original poster: "Bert Hickman by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net>
>
> William and all,
>
> In the 1930's, GE represented THE state of the art in HV testing. Some of
> the equipment they used for HV testing was exhibited in GE's Steinmetz Hall
> at the 1939 World's Fair.
>
> Following is a link to an image of a 1 million volt power arc from a
> cascade of three HV transformers. This is from GE's Steinmetz Hall, part of
> their exhibit at the Fair.
> Are these transformers similar to the ones you saw?
> http://www.aquila-dot-net/bert.hickman/photos/1mevarc.jpg
>
> This next image provides a better view of two of these transformers, and
> also shows a 10 million volt discharge from the huge bipolar Marx generator
> (+5 MV to -5 MV).
> http://www.aquila-dot-net/bert.hickman/photos/impulse.jpg
>
> The last image shows all three of HV transformers and Marx Generators.
> http://www.aquila-dot-net/bert.hickman/photos/steinmtz.jpg
>
> These images were scanned from early issues of General Electric Review by
> Dave Farkas, a fellow HV enthusiast and Marx Generator builder from the San
> Francisco Bay area. More details on GE's HV lab can be gleaned from K. B.
> McEachron's book, "Playing With Lightning", Random House, 1940, available
> on the used book market.
>
> These guys really knew how to play... :^)
>
> -- Bert --
> --
> Bert Hickman
> Stoneridge Engineering
> Email:    bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net
> Web Site: http://www.teslamania-dot-com
>
> Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > Original poster: "William R. Langston by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <blangsto-at-iwvisp-dot-com>
> >
> > Hello Everyone,
> >
> > One of my uncles was a VP for General Electric in New York state. By his
> > good offices, years
> > ago, I visited the GE HV Lab in Schenectady, NY. Along with two very, very
> > big cap/diode/gap
> > stacks, sat on opposite ends of a very large lab -- for destructive testing
> > of transformers,
> > breakers, etc.; anyway, along with the stacks was a million-volt+, 60 Hz,
> > 3-toroid transformer
> > stack. Very impressive to a teen (It helped me decide on physics and
> > electronics for my
> > vocation). Very impressive sound it made too, both arcs and 60 Hz ('cycles'
> > back then ;-) hum.
> >
> > My point is that if one is willing to do the work and spend the cash...
> >
> > Have a great evening all,
> > Bill Langston
> >
> > Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > > Original poster: "Ed Phillips by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> > <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>
> > >
> > > Tesla list wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Original poster: "S & J Young by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> > > <youngs-at-konnections-dot-net>
> > > >
> > > > Hi Irrelative (please use a real name on this list),
> > > >
> > > > Cal Tech used to have a high voltage lab which had a million volt power
> > > > transformer.  I witnessed the lab technicians draw amazing arcs which
> would
> > > > flash over at about 3 feet and could be drawn out to over 20 feet!
> > There is
> > > > no voltage limit in theory, just the practical limits of breakdown of
> > > > insulation.  One could cascade a few transformers for several million
> volts
> > > > if one had an almost unlimited budget
> > > > --Steve
> > >
> > >         When I went to Caltech (1948) the Kellog High Voltage lab did
> indeed
> > > use a cascade of transformers to get HV AC.  By having the primary of
> > > each transformer connected across a tap on the preceding one the problem
> > > of primary-secondary voltage breakdown is essentially eliminated.  The
> > > building is still there but suspect it is being used for something else
> > > since power engineering isn't of much interest there these days.
> > >
> > > Ed