RE: Kerosene?

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: RE: Kerosene?
• From: "Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 11:15:00 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

I made some rolled poly caps and vacuum pumped them down, backfilling them
with mineral oil.  At the time I had them permanently sealed within PVC
pipes, with no mechanism for pressure relief (I now know better).  There was
apparently some corona or partial discharge at the edges of the foil which
let to heating, then dielectric puncture, then internal arcing, all the
while building up pressure in the PVC pipe, until POOM!!!  The PVC end cap
ruptured violently and blew, spraying mineral oil all over my garage.  I for
one am glad I used the lesser flammable oil.  Just goes to show, "stuff"
happens that you might not have planned for.

The other lesson here is: Forget the poly/aluminum/oil caps and build an
MMC!

Gary Lau
Waltham, MA USA

> Original Poster: "Chris Russell" <oldmanjamal-at-netzero-dot-net>
> I read somewhere that kerosene can be used to submerge a polyethylene /
> aluminum foil stacked plate capacitor. Is this true?

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