Re: [TCML] sucker / blower gap

[Gary Lau <glau1024@xxxxxxxxx>]

I haven't done anything involving a vacuum cleaner motor and multiple copper
pipes.  I believe that the single-segment gap of my sucker gap provides
lower losses and is far easier to adjust the breakdown voltage on than
multi-segment gaps.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 2:27 PM, G Hunter <dogbrain_39560@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Gary Lau posted about his sucker/blower gap designs many years ago.  I
> haven't checked the archive, but I'm sure it's in there.  See:
>
> http://www.laushaus.com/tesla/onegap.htm
>
> and:
>
> http://www.laushaus.com/tesla/vortexgap.htm
>
> He also made some useful measurements with regards to quenching, etc.
>
> Based on his work, I've built several similar gaps over the years including
> a multi-kilowatt unit for my 5KVA pole transformer coiling:
>
> http://myweb.cableone.net/grcarhunter/vacgap.htm
>
> I've also built 3 or 4 smaller units like this one for NST and MOT-based
> coils:
>
> http://myweb.cableone.net/grcarhunter/spgap.html
>
> and:
>
> http://myweb.cableone.net/grcarhunter/Inside.htm
>
> On the plus side, T've never overheated a sucker gap.  The large mass of
> copper and the large volume of moving air seem to sink & remove heat faster
> than it can accumulate.  Also, the raw materials are cheap & available at
> any hardware store.  One would expect the soft copper electrodes to erode
> away quickly, but this has not been my experience at all.  Likewise, my
> vacuum cleaner motors were liberated from discarded vacuum cleaners left
> curbside for trash pickup.  I have a junkbox full.
>
> My little blower-type gap worked well too, but it couldn't handle as much
> power as the sucker style.  I have dismantled my blower gap, but I would
> have no issues with building one again for an NST-based coil under 2KVA.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Gregory R. Hunter
>
> --- On Sat, 11/6/10, DC Cox <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > From: DC Cox <resonance@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: [TCML] sucker / blower gap
> > To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010, 3:38 AM
> > Someone (perhaps Gary Lau) from the
> > southern US posted a unique gap design
> > that used a va. cleaner blower and either sucked or blown
> > thru a small set
> > of copper pipes.
> >
> > Anyone recall who it was as I wish to contact them
> > regarding their PVC tube
> > design, clearancesd, etc?
> >
> > Dr. Resonance
> > _______________________________________________
> > Tesla mailing list
> > Tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> > http://www.pupman.com/mailman/listinfo/tesla
> >
>
>
>
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