Re: Water resistors (and water grounds...)

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

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>



Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>"
<davep-at-quik-dot-com>
> 
> Tesla list wrote:
> 
> > Original poster: "Paul Marshall by way of Terry Fritz
> ><twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <klugmann-at-hotmail-dot-com>
> 
> > Doesn't water dissasociate in direct current?
> 
>         And with alternating current.
>         (Direct Current is used where the _intent_ is to produce
>         H and/or O, separately.)

At RF or moderately high frequencies, my observation has been that no
visible gas is produced (i.e. no bubbles on electrodes, or accumulating in
headspace above electrodes.  I think this is because the field ionizes the
water (a little), then, when the field reverses, it recombines, the ions
not having had very much time to move towards the opposite electrode.

I haven't run a water resistor on 60 Hz for any length of time, so I
couldn't provide any useful information there.  I have run salt water as a
high power resistor (carbon electrodes) at 60 Hz, but it was in an open
bucket, and steam generation was a bigger issue than electrolysis. (Many kW
being dissipated in not much water)

> 
> > Wouldn't you wind up with hydrogen and oxygen under pressure?
> 
>         If in a sealed container.  If sealed, and no internal spark AND
>         sealed strongly enough to withstand the pressure buildup
>         Maybe it won't blow.  Having been Way Too Close to an H/O
>         'explosion' I recommend any such thing be well vented and NOT
>         operated UNLESS vented.  (eg allow the H and O to disperse...)
>         (I refuse to try to do subscripts here...   8)>>)
> 
> ===========================
> Quasi Related, grounding to water faucet.
>         Might work IF the plumbing is ALL metallic ALL the way back to
>         a good ground (eg buried water mains, etc....).  Much plumbing
>         these days is plastic.  Also, if the connection is NOT good,
>         HV and or HV RF will appear in 'all the wrong places'.
> 
>         (Allegedly True story.  May not be.....
>         HAM operator with seashore cottage grounded by setting a
>         grounded vertical into the vent to the septic system.  One
>         Day he found out the hard way 'the throne' was 1/4 wave
>         from the base of the antenna on the band in use.... )
> 
>         best
>         dwp