Method for converting HV (static) into usable low-voltage power.

[wings]

Lol, ...

Just MHO: But it depends how high is your voltage and how much Amperage you have on your HV. All types of Transformers (also inverse Tesla Coil) are quite inefficient if you have very little Amperage on the HV Side (as from a static machine like a Wimshurst and Co).
But there is a device which can convert very high voltages with very low amperage to high current low voltages, and this with a very high efficiency. Farnsworth invented it, it's called an "electron multiplier". And it's even made quite simple. The only special thing you will need is a good vacuum pump.

The Basic principle is this. That with you HV you just have to deliver a stronge electric field. Thsi field accelerates electrons to a metal surface. At impact, the high energy electron will free some metal electrons too. Then these will again  accelerate due to the electric field, again to a metal surface, and so on. The number of electrons will increase exponentially. This works as long as the electric field of the HV source is stronger than the field of the electrons...So at a certain amperage, which is dependant on the HV voltage it will be in a balance and just as much electrons will be freed again as have collided.
You can this with a plate, tube, or also with a sphere circuit, whereas the sphere circuit is more efficient. BTW: The farnsworth fuser is based on this idea. He just used ions to oscillate in the field instead of electrons. And of course he then doesn't let them collide anymore with the outer surface...

There's also another possibility. Although i never tested it. Take an isolater with a high electrostricition value (Piezo-Elektret) and take a magnet with a high magnetostriction value.
Now if you deliver HV to the electret it will grow or shrink, so it will mechanically change. If you now put these electrets very firm between two magnets, then the magnets will also be mechanically pushed and pulled. Due to the high magnetostriction of the magnets the magnetic field will change considerably due to this. Now you can wind some wire around the magnets and the changing magnetic field will induce a low voltage higher current current. But i think with this you would have quite some considerable mechanical losses. So IMHO the Farnsworth device is the as far as I know most efficient device to convert such static field to LV.

some documents related to Multipactor - cold cathode :

http://www.borderlands.com/archives/arch/multipact.htm

multipaction material:

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlux/hv/multipact.htm


conference on Multipactor, Corona and Passive Intermodulation

http://conferences.esa.int/03C26/

[wings]

http://multipactor.esa.int/whatis.html

.... you can download a multipactor calculator program from ESA here:

http://multipactor.esa.int/downloads.html

[Shanti]

Here's a picture for a simpler construction where it is easier to see how it works:

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5370/electronmultiplieryg0.gif

The central mesh is fed with a HV DC voltage to generate the acceleration E-Field.

Here in a tubular version:

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/7528/patus2189358fig4.jpg

And here in a double tubular version, which makes the oscillation even easier and stronger:

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4976/patus2137528fig5.jpg

BTW: Today this effect is mostly taught to avoid it. As it can pose quite a problem in a circuit if this effect starts to happen and an exponential electron buildup is unwanted.

[forest]

My idea is to use that Tesla patent : http://www.google.co.uk/patents?id=v-tqAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

then replace stack of plates insulated by gutta percha with fluorescent tube (should be made probably from thick glass or special crystal). I'm not sure ifthat could work but why not ?

You put enormous charge on fluorescent bulb and such capacitor should polarize and charge equally by induction. Not sure what would be negative and what positive terminals but idea is interesting.

[wings]

My idea is to use that Tesla patent : http://www.google.co.uk/patents?id=v-tqAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

then replace stack of plates insulated by gutta percha with fluorescent tube (should be made probably from thick glass or special crystal). I'm not sure ifthat could work but why not ?

You put enormous charge on fluorescent bulb and such capacitor should polarize and charge equally by induction. Not sure what would be negative and what positive terminals but idea is interesting.

or c-stack - Voltage Step-down or step-up circuit

http://jnaudin.free.fr/cstack/index.htm