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Forums
4hv.org :: Forums :: Tesla Coils
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Van de Graaf Generator Question

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RogerInOhio
Mon Jul 28 2008, 12:27PM
RogerInOhio Registered Member #1034 Joined: Sat Sept 29 2007, 12:50PM
Location: Chillicothe, Ohio
Posts: 154
Will a cylinder work reasonably well as a substitute for a metal sphere?

I just wanted to suggest, if you can find an empty disposable helium tank (the kind they sell for filling party balloons) or an empty disposable refrigerant tank you would have a nice cylinder with rounded edges.

By the way, there is a device that can use a wire to charge a sphere. It's called a Tesla coil.
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Proud Mary
Mon Jul 28 2008, 07:01PM
Proud Mary Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992
Gauss's Law and the Faraday Cage effect are the key concepts in understanding the van der Graaf charging process.
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HV Enthusiast
Mon Jul 28 2008, 07:23PM
HV Enthusiast Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068
You can get very nice 14" VDG aluminum spheres (or rather oblates) with mount for 3" PVC tube from Science First NY for about $89.00 i think.

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johnf
Thu Jul 31 2008, 09:20AM
johnf Registered Member #230 Joined: Tue Feb 21 2006, 08:01PM
Location: Gracefield lower Hutt
Posts: 284
Rodgerin ohio
A tesla coil is An AC High voltage source while VDGs are a DC source ie the VDG transfers charge of the same polarity in packets of charge to the terminal (sphere at the top) the Tesla coil is an air cored AC transformer the charge at its terminal reverses at the drive frequency ie the charge is cancelled at the period of oscillation and does not build up with time.
both use a smooth terminal (top load) to maximise voltage before air breakdown.
Sharp edges on Dc and /or AC terminals encourage space charge / field emission ie charge leakage.
Beause of the air core in tesla coils they tend to transform High frequency AC frequencies only ie 50kHz to many MHz.
do some googling to find out why they are different and what makes a Tesla coil work
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