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Registered Member #1564
Joined: Wed Jun 25 2008, 05:09PM
Location:
Posts: 11
I have this idea for a new type of high voltage generator which involves a car pressure washer. I have attached a quick sketch of the concept so you get an idea of the setup.
A pvc pipe is driven into the ground, lets say two meters long and to the top of you secure the lance from a pressure washer. The lance is adjusted so that it produces a fine mist which fan-out projecting a fine mist upwards into the air. At the top of the lance a conductive washer is secured so that the jet flows through the hole in the centre before fanning out. The washer is connected to a negative dc EHT supply (say 100kv). The fine water mist produced is therefore highly negatively charged. As the negative charge build-up it starts to cause the ground under the vapour cloud to become increasingly positively charged until BANG, an artificially generated lightning bolt hits the ground rod.
I haven’t tried it yet but my understanding tells me it should work, would like to know what you guys think?
Registered Member #540
Joined: Mon Feb 19 2007, 07:49PM
Location: MIT
Posts: 969
I think for the voltage to be high enough to jump from charged water droplets, it can jump from the charger to the ground easier. Also unless the water had no salts or stuff, it would conduct electricity... Is this right?
Registered Member #1564
Joined: Wed Jun 25 2008, 05:09PM
Location:
Posts: 11
Ok fairly easy to solve, make a battery powered EHT and secure it to the top of the pvc pipe. You could put the tap water through a filter to remove the salts and chlorine.
Registered Member #834
Joined: Tue Jun 12 2007, 10:57PM
Location: Brazil
Posts: 644
If the ring is negative, the water will come out positive, due to the induction on the tip of the jet. Most probably the water will just be attracted to everything nearby, dropping to the ground quite quickly.
Registered Member #162
Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3141
My thoughts also.
Some industrial paint sprayers electrically charge the paint droplets which zoom to any grounded conductor. (this allows the paint to coat all around the object when sprayed from just one direction)
Registered Member #1564
Joined: Wed Jun 25 2008, 05:09PM
Location:
Posts: 11
This is an outdoors experiment and would be conducted in an open area with flat ground, the nearest nearby object for the charged droplets to ground to would be the ground itself which depending on the hight of the pvc pipe is could be some distance.
Its a high pressure washer which means the atomised water droplets exit the nozzle with high velocity in an upwards direction, yes they would be attracted to the ground but the electrostatic charge is not great enough to overcome the velocity at which they are projected upwards. I assume a mushroom shaped body of atomised water would develop above the pvc pipe.
On its finest setting the average pressure produces a large volume of atomised water in just a few seconds so this must equate to a large charge build-up.
I set my pressure washer to its finest setting and directed it upwards, The atomised water droplets produced are small enough and light enough to remain in the air for some time assuming its not a windy day.
Registered Member #27
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058
Kelvin did this 140 years ago so it is not very new. You will get wet and that is the most interesting thing that will happen, that is if no one gets electrocuted.
Registered Member #1564
Joined: Wed Jun 25 2008, 05:09PM
Location:
Posts: 11
Dr Alban, Kelvins device was very different, I have actually made one in the past, was interesting to see how a large charge can be generated by a few drops.
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Experimental lightning bolt generator
