Re: Anyone ever successful with Ball Lightning generation here. . . .

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

Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <davep-at-quik-dot-com>


>>Golka uses a 150-kW transformer capable of providing 10,000 A at 15-V 60
>>cycles; thick 1-in. stranded wire leading into a plastic tank with water;
>>and a 1/4-in. thick 4 ¥ 6-in. aluminum plate. The wire and plate are short
>>circuited about 1/4 in. below the surface of the water and this produces 1/4
>>in. dia. fireballs. They sizzle and hiss and skim around on the surface,
>>occasionally taking to the air and leaving spiraling smoke trails that
>>suggest the balls are spinning.
>>Golka has seen these fireballs dance onto the floor and he reports them hot
>>to the touch. Their color is white with an aluminum electrode and yellow
>>with iron.


>>There is no theory for ball lightning,

	There are many.

>> although in Golka's case his fireballs consume the aluminum and may

>>obtain their energy from the burning of the metal.

> Hmmm...if this is considered ball lightning, then I generated it 
> myself when I was about eight years old and stuck a piece of wire in 
> an AC outlet!

	Did it have 150,000A available?
	Things DO change at high power levels.

> Seriously, you short out anything with a decent amount 
> of current and you'll get lots of little "fireballs" (i.e. globs of 
> molten metal) skittering around.

	Which differs from the common observation of BL:
	too short lived, for one.

> Who knows, maybe ball lighting is the same type of thing on a

> larger scale.

	Possibly, tho i suspect not quite.
	This was my point earlier:
		MANY things create 'glowing balls'.
	BL is generally longer lived than just cooling
	metal (as from fork in outlet), appears to pass thru
	panes of glass, appears to lack an ongoing, external
	power source.  Dr Uman, (a noted lightning professional),
	or Barry, for 'observational definitions'.

> At any rate I have seen footage of Golka's experiment, and

> I think that article is way off base giving him credit for

> the first lab-created ball lightning.

	I would tend to concur, tho it may be that 'lab' BL
	is gonna be different (lower powered?) than 'wild'
	BL.


	best
	dwp

...the net of a million lies...
	Vernor Vinge
There are Many Web Sites which Say Many Things.
	-me