Re: Static discharge from my air compressor

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

Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br>

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "Robert Stern at PSU by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rls327-at-psu.edu>
> 
> Does anyone know of any plans, schematics, etc. for building a Van de Graaf
> generator using air or pellets or just about anything other than a belt? I
> was interested in trying to make one.

There is a discussion about this in the book "Homemade Lightning", by
R. A. Ford. Essentially you blow a powder, or pellets, of a partially
conductive material (actually, any light material) around a ring of 
insulating tubes, crossing a hollow terminal at the top of the cycle,
containing a section of metal pipe inside.
The problem of this approach is how to guarantee reliable charging of
the
transport material, what is very easy with a belt.
You will end with something that is more noisy and less efficient than
the regular machine.

Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz