Re: Carbon rod electrodes?

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

Original poster: "Bunnykiller by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <bunikllr-at-bellsouth-dot-net>

Tesla list wrote:

>Original poster: "Richard W. by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><potluck-at-xmission-dot-com>
>
>Hi list,
>I used to build arc lamps as a kid using the carbon rod salvaged from 
>carbon-zinc size D batteries. They were about the diameter of a pencil and 
>ran the full length of the battery. After some use the tips become conical 
>improving the gap.
>
>Anyway, could something like that be used in TSGs?
>
>Rick W.
>Salt Lake
>
>
Hi Rick...

as you have noticed, carbon arc lamps provide a good deal of light... the 
reason is that they provide a great path for current travel. ( all of the 
suspended carbon and plasma) but in the case of T-Coiling the suspended 
material doesnt allow for the cessation of the arc to occur quickly...  a 
good spark gap for coiling allows the acr to quench during the "first" or 
"second" notch of the pulses. Quenching is one of the typical problems 
involved with gap selection.   Anyway...   carbon arc systems arent the 
best choice...  neither are items like iron based gaps ( they also provide 
material to continue the arc...   basically hot easily ionized material) ....
tungsten is one of the better chioces since it has such a hi melting point 
and is less prone to "vaporize" and leave material in the gap to continue 
an arc discharge....

Scot D