Re: Personal intro, 4,062 joule thumper, what to do with it (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Gerry Reynolds <greynolds@xxxxxxxxxx>



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 16:58:32 +0900
From: Peter Terren <pterren@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Personal intro, 4,062 joule thumper, what to do with it (fwd)

Bert Hickman does plenty of this stuff of course but I dabble too.
I presume those red caps are Maxwell's and they look like they have the low 
profile terminals that proper pulse caps have.  Steve Ward uses a similar 
contactor for his (also red) Maxwell pulse cap so maybe he knows something 
useful as well.
I wonder if they make sure there is no-one holding the other end first 
before they fire it.
Exploding copper wire is dangerous if you are close enough to get plasma up 
your nose!
There is no chemical danger just explosive and high voltage and ozone and 
auditory and ultraviolet and....
Peter
http://tesladownunder.com/Pulse_Power.htm
http://tesladownunder.com/CanCrushing.htm

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 13:33:58 -0600
> From: Igor Chudov <ichudov@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Personal intro, 4,062 joule thumper, what to do with it
> Recently a thumper followed me home. It is described here.
> http://igor.chudov.com/projects/High-Voltage/Hell-Machine-THUMPER/
> Associated Research cable fault locator mdl 8613 also known as
> "thumper". It is labeled HyJoule. Its purpose is to help locate
> insulation faults in high voltage buried cable, by inducing giant DC
> pulsed discharges that blast through faulty insulation. The lineman
> would walk along the buried cable path and feel the "thumps" with his
> feet.
>
> The way it works is this. The first device is a DC source, it uses
> about 10A of 120 VAC as supply and produces up to 25 kV DC as
> output. For safety when NOT in operation, when high voltage is
> switched off, high voltage side is grounded by a contactor. The second
> device is comprised of a high voltage capacitor, and a special high
> voltage contactor to produce periodic discharges. There is also high
> voltage cable that is supposed to be connected to the cable being
> tested. I would guesstimate the size of it as 7/8" in diameter and 50
> feet in length.
>
> With voltage up to 25 kV, and capacitance of 13 uF, my thumper is
> designed to deliver up to 4,062 joules, or approximately the energy
> carried by bullets from a burst of assault rifle fire.
>
> With generous prodding from Bert, I got it to work.
>
> Now the question is what can I do with it.
>
> My immediate plans are to a) try to shrink coins and b) try to make
> lightnings by burning up thin wire and hoping that the exploding wire
> is hot enough to ionize air to carry the bulk of the discharge.
>
> If so, I would like to hear some relevant experiences.
>
> Specifically is blowing up copper wire for lightning a long term
> health hazard (I am afraid so, and thus want to explode steel wire).
>
> As for coin shrinking, I want to build a sturdy steel box for
> containing explosions.
>
> i
>
>