Re: GE HV Research

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

Original poster: "Bert Hickman by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net>

Hi Ben,

It's probably a shot of a power arc from a pair of 350 kV HV test
transformers (seen on either side). Some of the columns of GE's 10 MV
bipolar Marx generator can also be seen to the left and right of the HV
transformers. GE had six of these special transformers built. By running
them in series cascade from a 3 phase power source, they could generate
700 kV to the grounded center of the wye and achieve 1 million volts in
phase-to-phase power arcs. Following is an excerpt from one of the
engineers involved (Bob Hafstrom) in an email communication.

"During the winter before the fair, the transformers for the General
Electric exhibit were being tested in Pittsfield, Mass. There were six
350,000 volt transformers that were built for the three phase arc They
were arranged in stacks of two transformers, one on the floor and the
second one on an insulated pillar. The voltage at the top of the stack
was about 700,000 volts above ground. The voltage between stacks was
gradually raised to about 1,000,000 volts when the arcs occurred between
three pinwheels that had various salts that colored the arcs. As a
"testman" (member of a group of about 500 engineering college graduates)
I was fortunate enough to be in Pittsfield when these transformers were
tested. When the fair opened testmen were assigned to the fair location
to run the exhibit. The high voltage end of each transformer bank was
connected to an insulated stand with a pin wheel on the top. Each end of
the
pin wheel had a different salt in it. Table salt sodium chloride made
the arc orange color, Iron salts produced a green arc etc. With three
pinwheels (six colors) the spectacular arcs form and rise up because
they heat the air and then blow out when they get too long." 

Although I don't have a shot of the HV pinwheel, here's a picture of 3
phase 1 MV arcs at the 1939 NY World's Fair in the Steinmetz hall (from
GE Review, January, 1939):
http://www.aquila-dot-net/berthickman/photos/1mevarc.jpg

Best regards,

-- Bert --
-- 
Bert Hickman
Stoneridge Engineering
"Electromagically" Shrunken Coins!
http://www.teslamania-dot-com

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "Ben McMillen by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <spoonman534-at-yahoo-dot-com>
> 
> Hi all,
>   While digging around in the basement the other day I
> happened on an old photograph of what appears to be the old
> GE HV testing facility..
> 
> This is the picture:
> 
> www.hot-streamer-dot-com/temp/GE.jpg
> 
> The photograph is a 3x5 and in VERY good condition.. (I'm
> REALLY sorry for the horrible image quality.. this wasn't
> scanned on my good HP scanner.. :-/ )
> 
> Can anyone tell me what this might be? I remember seeing
> pictures like this on the list before, and it hadn't
> occured to me until I found this one.. Is this some sort of
> marx setup? That's one hell of an arc too!
> 
> Just thought I'd share.. ;)
> 
> Coiling in Pittsburgh
> Ben McMillen
> 
>