RE: Distilled water as a dielectric?

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Mark Dunn" <mdunn@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


Greg:

I'm the parallel plate guy.  The mmc builders would be better to answer
this, but maybe my comments will generate some discussion.

Seems that the mmc guys typically use a series of .15 uF 2KV caps(others
are available) at $3 each.  So if you go for a rating of 30 KV then you
need a string of 15 caps which gives a 10 nF for the string and $45 per
string.  You said you wanted a 10 uF mmc(I think you meant 10 nF so one
string would do it).  If it is really 10 uF then you would need (1000)
10 nF strings in parallel to build up the capacitance.  This would be a
total cost of $45,000.  Obviously, a better capacitor choice for this
mmc would make it a lot cheaper.

But to compare at the "normal" Tesla Coil Capacitance ranges:

10 nF	1 string  $45
20 nF  2 strings  $90
50 nF  5 strings  $225
100 nF 10 strings $450

This does not include a box or board to mount.  Just the caps.
(I think they may push the voltage rating and only use a strings of 10
which would give 15 nF per string)

This is why I still build parallel plates.  I can build a 50 nF parallel
plate unit for under $30.  Biggest cost is the food storage box.
Assembly time under 2 hrs.

Mark





-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 5:52 PM
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Distilled water as a dielectric?


Original poster: Greg Morris <gbmorris@xxxxxxxxx>

So what is a basic price range for a 10 uF mmc then? And, unless I am
mistaken they are not as adjustable with the ease that parallel plates
are.
Thanks again.

On 6/2/05, Tesla list <<mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>Original poster: Ed Phillips <<mailto:evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>"Original poster: "Peter Terren"
><<mailto:pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>Hmmmm.... Ice and electricity.  See here.
><http://tesladownunder.com/misc1.htm#Coin%20shrinking>http://tesladownu
>nder.com/misc1.htm#Coin%20shrinking
>
>Peter
>Tesladownunder"
>
>         One of my classmates at Caltech did his PhD research by using
>a modified WW2 tail-warning radar to measure the thickness of the ice
>in various places.  This was a small 400 MHz unit (couple of watts peak
>power) working into a small Yagi antenna.  They were able to get echoes

>from the rock through over 5000 feet of ice.  The operation was much
>more of an adventure than planned, including a bent airplane they had
>to fix by tieing a 2 x 4 to a wing strut, but he got his degree.
>
>Ed
>