How a Testatika motor works?

[sm0ky2]

Hi Smokey.

yes, it is called a Kelvin Generator by Principle although the Kelvin Generator on a general level works with water it still holds true for gases as well.

you can do a youtube search and study the Kelvin Generator's principle function.

MIT is a very good source of information also.

Jerry

thanks jerry,   my understanding of the kelvin generator, it needs good airflow to work properly, which is why they are built so 'spread out', and the charge-receptors are much larger than the stream of dropping water.

The cans used in the testatika device appear to be closed off to the air in the room. Which makes for an interesting question of how/why it feeds back to the device.  i have seen ion-generating filiments that work pretty much like a lightbulb to release an ionized plasma,  im wondering of HV-charged aluminum can have a similar effect.

i could be completely wrong there,  that 3rd capacitor may just feed some of the charge off the other 2, back into the machine.
but if thats the case, why both polarities?


BTW, i have modified my mini-wimshurst machine, by covering the aluminum sectors with screen. my hope is that this will increase the charge-generating power of the machine.

[onthecuttingedge2005]

Hi Smoky.

The Marx Generator and the Kelvin Generator work on similar principles and manners, the Marx Gen uses Electricity as the Kelvin Gen uses Water.

The Marx Gen is the more advanced version of the principle.

adding a Marx Gen to your Wimshurst machine might give rise to some really good arcs.

Jerry

[sm0ky2]

Hi Smoky.

The Marx Generator and the Kelvin Generator work on similar principles and manners, the Marx Gen uses Electricity as the Kelvin Gen uses Water.

The Marx Gen is the more advanced version of the principle.

adding a Marx Gen to your Wimshurst machine might give rise to some really good arcs.

Jerry

im not sure what you are envisioning here, or how to even go about doing that....  link their leyden-jars in series?
seems easier to just get a second wimhurst...

update on the screen-modification:::  the results were opposite of what i expected - adding screens on top of the foil sectors diminished the charge collection significantly. i have removed the screens and replaced the foil sectors with new (slightly larger)foil.
seemed to me like the screen would have 'more surface area' for charge collection, however it did not function as expected.

i havent given up on the screens yet, just not sure at this point if the wimshurst/pidgeon style of electrostatic induction is truly how this device operates.  There is another machine, similar in construct (late 1800's i believe) that operates using a different principal of induction. [wishing right now i could remember its' name]  The Main difference in this particular device was that the 'brushes' did NOT touch the spinning disk. Charge was transfered via coronal-discharge, and required a solid earth-ground to function. - a machine like this may indeed be functional with screens...  just a thought...

[onthecuttingedge2005]

Hi Smoky.

Maybe the Marx Gen is a bit to complex.

you could simply replace your Leyden Jars with large High Density Capacitors.

it would take a little more charge time to charge them up to the voltage break down to get some good discharges but the arcs should be spectacular.

Jerry

[sm0ky2]

Capacity isnt my issue,i have a pair of 1 MV leyden jars, they are immaculate, and perfectly insulated.
im scared to charge thme up though,  as i have a nasty habit f accidently shocking myself with the tiny ones on the machine.

ive heared that something THAT big can actally stop your heart.

if/when i DO collect 2 megavolts of charge, i will be VERY VERY careful about it...... 

my main concern right now is the rate of collecting the charge.
i have doubled the size of the original foil sectors on the disks, so this should in effect double the charge-rate.
at least thats the assumption i made based on surface-area, hopefully this wont be a complete failure like the metal-screens were.....

i would like to get this thing popping in the kilohertz range if thats possible,  before the modificatoin i was sitting around 60-120 Hz ( estimated)
that is the rate of discharge with a very small spark-gap
(1/4" or so)