Re: [TCML] Resistant Spark Gap

[bartb <bartb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Brandon,

Your findings regarding spherical electrodes are right on the money. The 
voltage required for corona on a sphere-sphere gap is double that of a 
plane-plane gap or even a sphere-plane gap. This is why the gap spacing 
has changed for sphere-sphere electrodes to achieve the same breakdown 
voltage.

The fact that gap spacing required 1/2 the gap distance is due to the 
radius of the electrodes and voltage. If the sphere's were say half the 
size they are now, the gap spacing would be something other than 1/2. If 
the spheres radii were very large, the gap spacing again would be very 
different as the sphere's would tend to act more like plane-plane 
surfaces. But anyway, what you are seeing is completely normal and due 
to how the field strength occurs at the surface of the electrodes. Their 
shape and gap distance has a lot to do with their breakdown at a given 
voltage.

Here is a very good read on this very subject.
http://www.classictesla.com/download/north7.pdf

Take care,
Bart

Brandon Hendershot wrote:
> I found a link someone put up on the list of site that sells brass 
> balls for pretty cheap. I ordered a few for my spark gap and soon to 
> come Terry Filter. The problem is, the gap needs to be half the size 
> it was before in order to fire. Is it because the electrodes are now 
> round and have less of a preferance of where to arc to? Or are they 
> acting like a resistor on the high voltage?
>
> Other things I've changed are the connecting wires and the screws 
> since I needed bigger ones for the balls to screw on to. But I've 
> checked the resistance with an ohmeter and they are the same... Any 
> words on this?
>
> Thanks a lot, guys.
> Brandon
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