RE: [TCML] Great DVD!

[Jeff Behary <electrotherapy@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bert,
 
Many thanks for the kind words.  I would like to many another DVD of nothing but antique machines in operation.  Maybe that will be the next project.
 
The solidworks drawings of Tesla's coils are a lot of guesswork based on photos and patents.  The table top units were divided into two classes - mechanical interrupters, and mercury interrupters.   (All of these units were self-induction coils+breaks - not transformers/spark gaps)  The mechanical interrupers were divided into two classes - stationary, and rotary contacts.  The mercury interrupters were also divided into two classes - those that operated in normal air, and those that were hermetically sealed/hydrogen or coal-gas quenched/inert environments.  In addition to this, there were metal to mercury contacts, and mercury to mercury contacts.
 
Stationary Contacts (ie, simple interrupter):
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/Figure1/index.htm
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/MiscOscillators/index.htm
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/IgnitionTesla609250/index.htm
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/TeslaOscillators1Color/index.htm
Rotating Contacts:
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/583953/index.htm
Liquid-to-liquid Break, with insulating disk effecting breaks
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/MercuryBreak609248/index.htm
Liquid to Solid Break, mercury against a break wheel, hermetically sealed:
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/MercuryBreak609247/index.htm
Liquid to Solid Break, mercury against a break wheel, not hermetically sealed:
http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2006/MercuryBreak609251/index.htm
 
Tesla pioneered both Mercury Jet and Mercury Turbine interrupters.  His work, had he actively pursued selling it, would have been recognised in wireless telegraphy as Poulsen and Alexanderson later on.  Interesting too that some ingenious designs for breaks (I haven't drawn yet, too complicated) involved sets of rotating and stationary jets - operating as high as 50,000 BPS - matching the frequency of his coils (50kHz) and producing undamped oscillations.  More incredible are the power levels he was able to interrupt - even 20 amps or more, continuously.  I think a lot of very valuable research lies in these circuit controllers...espescially now with solid state coils becoming more and more reliable, I think at some point a merging of old and new technologies will change everything.
 
Jeff
 
> Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:58:29 -0500> From: bert.hickman@xxxxxxxxxx> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> CC: > Subject: [TCML] Great DVD!> > Hi Jeff,> > Today I finally had a chance to review the DVD you sent - it's really > awesome! You clearly put a LOT of work into recovering and > reconstructing all of the antique HV equipment, taking all the photos > and videos, and then compiling it all into this DVD. You really have a > lot of neat toys to play with! :^)> > The Kinraide material is simply incredible! It looks like the emulsion > he used was considerably "slower" than modern film. You can tell from > the various pieces of equipment and the huge variety of Lichtenberg > figure photos that he was one very imaginative and talented guy. And, > that Keely motor looks like something that Dr. Zarkov would have created > in a Flash Gordon episode - really Art Deco!> > I also love the variety of sparks and arcs you get from the various > pieces of equipment - and you have LOTS of very interesting equipment. I > did have a question about some of the computer graphics drawings of > Tesla's equipment - were the cylindrical things interrupters of some > type (possibly mercury?)?> > I'm starting to get ready for Ed Wingate's Teslathon, and DC Cox's > Cheesehead 'Thon in early September. I'm really looking forward to > seeing many of the friends I only get to see once a year.> > Thanks again and best wishes,> > Bert> > > http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla> > > > > _______________________________________________> Tesla mailing list> Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
_________________________________________________________________
Get ideas on sharing photos from people like you.  Find new ways to share.
http://www.windowslive.com/explore/photogallery/posts?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Photo_Gallery_082008_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla