Re: Ball lightning ?

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

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

>
> > Not that your 2.5KW power supply wouldn't be a really cool thing to play
> > with, but do we know that high frequencies or high voltages with respect
to
> > ground are actually necessary for the creation of ball lightning, if the
> > underlying principal is burning of atmospheric gasses?
>
> It has been reported that something like BL was produced
> with banks of batteries, ex Submarine:
>
> say 600VDC +/- and Yee_Chriminy amps.
>
> Also, stray reports concerning incidents in power installations,
> NOT strictly related to 'high' voltages.
>
> (cf the book mentioned earlier: ball lighting & bead lightning.)
>
> > What I'm getting at is, if one just wants to superheat some atmospheric
> > plasma, it would seem that a pig-powered Jacobs ladder could do that.
>
> Seems plausible.
> On the other hand if a 'classic Tesla' configuration works,
> having something that WORKS is the firs step to figuring out
> what 'works' is.  (at least when HOW is more or less unknown,
> as here...)
>
> Terry's comments (re vortex) are, probably well taken.
> vortexes in 'air' are surprisingly stable, if uncommon.
> the most visible are smoke rings...  Long term stability of
> these can be surprising.  What mechanism(s) keeps them going
> and glowing (IF they are BL components) is up for grabs.

There has been a theory about circulating currents around the ring vortex
torus.  I don't recall if it was around the ring or around the surface of
the ring (poloidal, I think the term is), or some interaction between the
two.
>
> Hmmmmm.  Fire a high energy spark in a mechanical
> configuration optimized for vortex generation?  Large, hollow
> tube?

A flat plate with a circular (or annular) hole and a puff of gas does very
nicely.  One can optimize the nozzle a bit, but a bucket with a hole cut in
the bottom and a diaphragm or piston on the open end works as a nice ring
vortex launcher.  The air flow over the "edge" of the hole starts the
rotation.  There are also nozzle designs that spin the ring (spin axis
parallel to direction of travel).

>
> (High energy == HV/LA (tesla) OR LV/HA (Jacobs Ladder)
> Yeah: unusual use of 'LV.... 8)>>))
>
> best
> dwp
>
>
>