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Other homemade equipment...
I LOVE hardware stores and junk yards!
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Tandem Static spark gaps - 12 gaps spaced at 0.030"/gap. This gap is
connected in series with the vacuum gap at right, and is cooled by a boxer
fan. Gap was originally developed by the Tesla Coil Builders of Richmond,
VA (TCBOR)
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A vacuum gap uses high-velocity air to help quench the arc, and is
in series with the previous static gap. While the Tandem Gap can handle
1 KVA, higher power levels also require the vacuum gap for best spark quenching.
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LC Filter and safety gaps used to help block RF or primary strikes
from backing up into the secondaries of the Neon Sign Transformers (NST's).
However, RC networks may actually offer better protection.
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Close-up of the safety gaps. The center electrode is grounded, and
the outer electrodes are connected to the HV legs of the power source.
Flash-overs are extinguished via the horn gaps.
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Capacitor construction, sheet-by-sheet. There are eight sheets of 0.004"
low density polyethylene (LDPE) between opposing foil plates. There are
37 of these foil and PE sandwich layers/module.
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Top view of four completed capacitor modules prior to being mechanically
and electrically interconnected.
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Side view of assembled capacitor modules. The total dielectric thickness
was 128 mils(!), and the unit was designed to be bulletproof even when
run off a 19.9 kV power distribution transformer.
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The capacitor assemblies ready to be immersed in 5 gallons of Shell
Diala-AX transformer oil. The present system now uses commercial Maxwell
pulse capacitors (1/5 the size!)
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