Re: 12 MV 100 years ago

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

Original poster: "Gary Peterson by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <glpeterson-at-tfcbooks-dot-com>

 > Original poster: "Rikard Titus by way of Terry Fritz
<teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rikard_titus-at-hotmail-dot-com>
 >
 > Some sources say that Tesla reached voltages like 12 MV using  his
 > magnifier in Colorado Springs.
 > In his diary (Colorado Springs Notes) he only refers to potentials like
3-4
 > MV on two occasions.
 > Was his giant magnifier supposed to work differently than we anticipate
 > today and where does that 12 MV figure come from?
 > Thanx for suggestions and comments .
 >
 > -Rik

In the  Colorado Springs chapter of NIKOLA TESLA ON HIS WORK WITH
ALTERNATING CURRENTS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY, TELEPHONY
AND TRANSMISSION OF POWER Tesla cites a maximum figure about half way
between the two.

Here [Fig. 68] I have a photograph to just give you a
striking illustration of some of these effects.  This thing
that you see here is a large ball [pointing to the bottom of
the photograph], on top of a cylindrical conductor, lifted
above the roof.  The roof was removable made in two parts,
which could be slid apart.  The ball could be pushed up and
down and lifted to a certain height as I needed it.  The ex-
periment shows just that kind of arrangement which I have
illustrated in previous diagrams and with which I reached
enormous potentials.  So great was the pressure that the ball
discharged into the air and I have been able to follow for a
100 feet some of these streams.  That will give you an idea
what a tremendous display it must have been.  The current
passing through this ball was about 1,000 amperes and the dis-
play, seen from a distance, was such that people might have
thought the building afire, and many times they did think so.

Counsel

      What was the voltage of it?

Tesla

      In this experiment, the voltage might have been something
like 7 or 8 million volts, but I want to tell you, though,
that I am referring to the maximum potential.  The moment you
get these enormous streamers the potential drops.  I mean that
was the breaking potential.
[END]

I've posted the Preface, Introduction, and Section IV. "Apparatus for
Transformation by Condenser Discharges; Damped Waves" online at
www.tfcbooks-dot-com/tesla/nt_on_ac.htm.

NIKOLA TESLA ON HIS WORK WITH ALTERNATING CURRENTS is available from 21st
Century books for $26.95 + $2 S&H.  Mention this list with your order and
the book is yours for $21.00 total.

Gary
www.tfcbooks-dot-com