Re: xenon flash tubes as gaps Re: Zener SSTC?

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

Original poster: BunnyKiller <bunikllr-at-bellsouth-dot-net> 



Tesla list wrote:

>Original poster: "Christopher Boden" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>We just got a pair donated and I was thinking the same thing. They won't 
>arc at 10kV, but at 15kV it's a thin arc (much the same as if it were in 
>free air. The arc lamps are massive, and I was wondering if it would be 
>possible to make a silent (or much quieter) gap from one. The problem is 
>it's a fixed-width gap, and I haven't yet come up with how to make that work.
>
>Ideas?
>
>
>
>Christopher "Duck" Boden Geek#1


hey Duck...

if they are "arc" lamps  then you might have a chance depending on the 
amount of current ( DC at that) you are going to pulse thru the tube each 
time....   If they are pulse type flash lamps...  then you will need 
inductors to "shape" the pulse length and some type of limiting factor from 
blowing up the tube...   you will also need some type of high voltage 
trigger circuit  ( unless the arc voltage is hi enuf to start the tube... ) 
also...  most arc lamps and flash tubes prefer DC current ...   not the 
oscillating version we get in the primary circuit...   but if you have 
access to some really hi powered hi voltage diodes...  ;)    run 2 lamps, 
one for each direction of the wave...

Scot D