Re: [TCML] DIY Tank Capacitor - Plate configuration confusion

["Jason Johnson" <jasonmsusolar@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

Just thought I would chime in a bit, since I haven't heard this
specific point mentioned.

The electric field distribution in a real world flat plate cap is NOT
uniform. For non-infinite capacitor sheets, the electric field
strength is higher at the interface between the conductor and
insulator than it is in the center of the insulator. The thicker the
dielectric is relative to the conductor separation, the more the plate
starts to look like a point charge, where the electric field strength
drops off with the square of distance.

For a visualization, check out the animated gif at
http://mw.concord.org/modeler1.3/mirror/electrostatics/capacitor.html.
Here you can see that the lines of equipotential are closer together
(higher field gradient) near the plates than they are in the center.
This effect is exaggerated as the separation distance increases.

So, by adding free floating plates in between the sheets of dielectric
in a stack between terminals - one is actually encouraging more
uniformity in the electric field gradient. This serves to lower the
field near the terminals (where corona would otherwise form). This is
the reason that this kind of construction is common in high voltage
engineering, for both capacitors and feedthrough insulators.

Regards,
Jason
_______________________________________________
Tesla mailing list
Tesla@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla