switching options for huge cap discharges (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

It is a little OT.  Please reply directly or use the hvlist.

Chip

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 05:02:27 +0000
From: David Rieben <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: drieben@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: switching options for huge cap discharges

Hi all,

This may start to get a little border line OT but I was hoping to get some input
on this. I am now in the process of trying to reconstruct my quarter shrinker
cap assembly and the only thing that is really giving me a fit is how to safely 
and reliably switch the 10s of thousands of amps from the discharge of a 15
to 20 kJ capacitor bank. I've done this some before in the past but the huge
currents systematically melted and destroyed the 1 1/4" square brass con-
tact blocks after a few dozen shots. I noticed Ed Wingate used a drop switch 
mechanism that utilized what looked like about 1/2" diameter tungsten rod con-
tact points to switch the huge currents. http://www.tb3.com/tesla/ratcb2005/pages/IMG_3997.html
What about triggered spark gap firing for this purpose? I'm sure that just
as in a Tesla coil SG, tungsten is the superior metal of choice for quarter
shrinker switch contacts as well. If anyone has experince along these lines
and would like to share their experiences with me, I would be most grateful ;^)

David Rieben