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Re: Negative Resistance, was: Tesla's Wireless Power Transmission
Hi Ed, Dan and all,
> Original Poster: "Ed Phillips" <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>
>
> >Dan:
> >
> > Tesla also knew and proved that gas under low pressure (or "rarified
gas"
> > as he called it) was indeed very cunducting. In fact just as conducting
> > as a wire (if not more efficient). That is why that neon sign
> > transformers are current limited, a neon sign tube is an almost perfect
> > dead short.
>
> Well, not quite. The discharge has quite a high impedance, as evidence
> by the high voltages used for longer tube lengths.
>
You disappoint me guys. You are both wrong and both right I'm afraid. Inert
gas or gas mixtures that normally don't react with each other have negative
resistance after breakdown and so has neon. This means: higher current >
lower resistance > higher current ... > POOoof (sudden death). So current
limitation is necessary to avoid overheating the neon tube and higher
voltages for longer tube lengths are only necessary to ignite.
If you are interested enter +"negative resistance" +neon in your favorite
search engine and you will be treated with graphs and all.
Greetings from wet Holland (Tesla weather ;-) )
Ruud de Graaf