PROJECT:PEGASUS
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:12 pm
Well what do we have hear?
Someone organized a DANCE and picnic and did not tell me?
Mind if I crash the party?
Today I learned a very valuable lesson.
I once thought that having kilovolts x amperage=wattage was good enough,
especially if the wattage was high.
BOY WAS I WRONG!
In the 1929 issue of Science and Invention magazine, Mr. Brown states that applied amperage is only sufficient to overcome leakage and maintain the required voltage through the losses of the dielectric.
I must have read that article a ka-trillion times. I even owned an original at one time, many moons ago.
Have I forgotten my lessons or what?
Back around 1994 or so, I was experimenting with a power supply that had a constant output of 100kvdc at around 2mA.
That's 200 watts.
This power supply was strong enough to rotate (2) 6 inch hollow, plastic hvac diffusers around its multiplier stack at a very good speed.
Talk about being impressed. So I always knew that more power would equal more thrust.
Now, some 18 years later, I try the same experiment with a variable 50kv / 1-5mA output.
That's 250 watts. An increase over the first experiment of 50 watts.
Guess what happened?
Come on, say it together....
ZILCH, ZERO, NADA, NOTHING!
Not even a slight swaying so that I could do the cha-cha (you know how much I like the ch-cha).
So, what have we learned boys and girls?
Two things I hope if nothing else.
#1. This is the important one to me, trust what Mr. Brown tried to teach.
Doubt not or you will be sorry, regret it and later, remember he tried to tell you.
#2. More amperage does not equate to more thrust.
Say it together... "It's the voltage, stupid".
That plus the mass. But then again, we all knew that, didn't we?
Didn't we?
So, 250kv@1-2 milliamps is better than 100kv@5 milliamps?
Oh wait, I think I just heard the school bell ring.
I don't want to be late, Professor Brown is teaching today and he promises some jaw dropping results!
Gotta go......................
Mark
Someone organized a DANCE and picnic and did not tell me?
Mind if I crash the party?
Today I learned a very valuable lesson.
I once thought that having kilovolts x amperage=wattage was good enough,
especially if the wattage was high.
BOY WAS I WRONG!
In the 1929 issue of Science and Invention magazine, Mr. Brown states that applied amperage is only sufficient to overcome leakage and maintain the required voltage through the losses of the dielectric.
I must have read that article a ka-trillion times. I even owned an original at one time, many moons ago.
Have I forgotten my lessons or what?
Back around 1994 or so, I was experimenting with a power supply that had a constant output of 100kvdc at around 2mA.
That's 200 watts.
This power supply was strong enough to rotate (2) 6 inch hollow, plastic hvac diffusers around its multiplier stack at a very good speed.
Talk about being impressed. So I always knew that more power would equal more thrust.
Now, some 18 years later, I try the same experiment with a variable 50kv / 1-5mA output.
That's 250 watts. An increase over the first experiment of 50 watts.
Guess what happened?
Come on, say it together....
ZILCH, ZERO, NADA, NOTHING!
Not even a slight swaying so that I could do the cha-cha (you know how much I like the ch-cha).
So, what have we learned boys and girls?
Two things I hope if nothing else.
#1. This is the important one to me, trust what Mr. Brown tried to teach.
Doubt not or you will be sorry, regret it and later, remember he tried to tell you.
#2. More amperage does not equate to more thrust.
Say it together... "It's the voltage, stupid".
That plus the mass. But then again, we all knew that, didn't we?
Didn't we?
So, 250kv@1-2 milliamps is better than 100kv@5 milliamps?
Oh wait, I think I just heard the school bell ring.
I don't want to be late, Professor Brown is teaching today and he promises some jaw dropping results!
Gotta go......................
Mark