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Re: Golka's Wendover "secret" gap

Original poster: "Mike" <induction@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Jerry (and thank you Terry),
The thing is Bob Golka did run some high power arcs through the SF6 in the Wendover coil, one transformer of many tried ran a primary voltage of 44,000 volts at more than 2 amps (easy) through the gap so you know the stuff was really cooked up to the bad products. That was the 51 foot diameter coil.
Mike

----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 2:09 AM
Subject: Re: Golka's Wendover "secret" gap


Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Jerry,

The gas smells like rotten eggs and is heavier than air. If suffocating, "legend" is to hold the victim upside down so the gas can flow out. I don't think I believe that one :o)

It is a very good insulator as gases go and suppresses corona and arcs greatly (the opposite of argon gas). It is often used in high voltage equipment as a pressurized gas to prevent arcing. Many HV gas caps and high voltage dividers us it. You are not supposed to use it for spark gaps ;-))

"We" never arced it, but it produces horrible gasses on decomposition by arc or by fire. It's relative SF4 will kill you standing right out and burst your lungs into flames (on contact with the moisture in the lungs) as you drop to the floor... If it does not ignite, it will form hydrofluoric acid in you lungs that just kills you a few minutes slower (but your already dead at the point from the basic toxicity)... One of the most, if not THE most, deadly gasses known to man...

http://www.concordegas.com/pdf/sf6.pdf#search='sf6%20msds'

Hard to find an MSDS on SF4 since no one plays with it ;-)) It is a homeland security "watch" substance...

SF6 is a very useful high voltage gas insulator but it needs great caution:

http://www.solvaychemicals.us/pdf/Specialty_Fluorides/SF6.pdf#search='sf6%20msds'

http://www.concordegas.com/pdf/sf6.pdf#search='sf6%20msds'

Arcing the gas at very high temperature makes really screwed up compounds... There just are not any good elements there.... Pure SF6 is pretty safe unless it smothers one... But it smells bad :-p

Cheers,

        Terry


At 11:37 PM 9/25/2005, you wrote: 
Hi All,

Could someone say what SF6 is and what is the toxic byproduct??? Also, what happens if one gets a whiff???

Gerry R

Original poster: "Mike" <induction@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Phil,
I'm glad you got to address this directly with Bob, he had described how dangerous the stuff was in this service and it's toxic nature after arcing through it, thought some people not used to working with it in the quest for better quenching might not take the needed safety measures and he did not want to see any body get hurt. He also described reactions of when somebody did get a whiff. From this, I had concluded and therefore wrote, in reply, " I guess he did not want a liability problem."
As the other responders brought forward the SF6 issue but also very strongly and clearly pointed out the dangers of SF6, even down to the chemical sequence of the hazard steps and why, I was at least satisfied that as much warning information was going out about the material as what it was.
So, on one hand, not happy but bound that I could not reveal the gap contents, on the other, glad to see that with other external to here postings of what it was, they included much needed warnings about the contents.
I am glad he's released the information; Having to hold back information from the list and those following the history of this interesting coil has not been comfortable.
Mike


----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2005 11:38 AM
Subject: Golka's Wendover "secret" gap


Original poster: FIFTYGUY@xxxxxxx
Folks-

Previously, I had asked about the gap Golka used at Wendover, which is labelled as "secret" on the old diagram. We got this response from his current colleague, Mike:

> He had a very fast quench there which
> he developed but he will not release it. I know what it is but have > to
> respect his wishes; That was conditional to my posting the other > info.
> It is very dangerous not contained and even post contained, once
arcs > have
> happened through the contents it becomes poison. I guess he did
not want > a
> liability problem.
    Terry replied to this:


> If it was a SF6 style gap thing, it was well described in > the
TCBA news... Since I forgot which issue, maybe the
> secret is still safe ;-))

> Sounds like some others already pretty much new all about
> it... Of course, if Bob made little tweeks or anything
> "special" to get it to work (especially at those super
>power levels), those secrets are still safe ;-))

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to talk with Golka in person. I asked him about the "secret" gap. He said it was SF6, at 45 psi (I presume "gauge" pressure). Recirculation/replacement of the gas is essential at these power levels, no matter what gas you choose to use.
WRT it being "secret": I asked permission to publicly pass on the info. He said the configuration was secret at one time, because he was trying to sell a system to Disney. He explained how corporate Disney screwed him over, and since the project fell through, there was no more reason to keep it secret. So the gap has probably been previously well-detailed.
I don't think he was concerned about liability issues, although he did stress that the SF6 did rapidly break down into horribly toxic stuff in that service (of course!).

-Phil LaBudde