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is two 90v spark gaps in a row the same as a 180v spark gap, or is it still just 90v?
Spark gaps in series
- Thread starter Capernicus
- Start date
its not home made, they are professional gas discharge tubes, at 90v, thankyou sir.
Its two series leaps at 90, but its not a single leap at 180.
But I was wondering if the two series leaps ends up being 180 volts, or is it just 90 to jump 2?
Thankyou, that is amazing. I cant believe u knew that.
So u can make it so? But if not it does count as 180!!
I'm making a marx generator, and I dont see how you can go through all those spark gaps in series, and still make it through them all, wouldn't it add up and make it not be able to make it unless the power supply equalled the spark gap distance, and travel through it anyway? (Because there is one spark gap per capacitor, so if one couldnt make it, none of them could)
Sorry if thats a bit confusing, but I do have a trial circuit to try and do it with 1 spark gap by itself, ill try it out.
So u can make it so? But if not it does count as 180!!
I'm making a marx generator, and I dont see how you can go through all those spark gaps in series, and still make it through them all, wouldn't it add up and make it not be able to make it unless the power supply equalled the spark gap distance, and travel through it anyway? (Because there is one spark gap per capacitor, so if one couldnt make it, none of them could)
Sorry if thats a bit confusing, but I do have a trial circuit to try and do it with 1 spark gap by itself, ill try it out.
https://circuitdigest.com/tutorial/impulse-voltage-generator-circuit-and-working
The Marx generator uses the spark gaps as switches to reconfigure the circuit.
The Marx generator uses the spark gaps as switches to reconfigure the circuit.
Does seem to be able to make it through the spark gaps, if they add effect in series.
Arent they invincible to any amount of volts? cause arent they effectively a blown capacitor when they are passing the current through - so they dont even blow up.
It jumps each spark gap sequentially up the ladder and shorts the gap connection to place the charged capacitors in series, upping the total voltage across the gaps.
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No. I've exploded lots of gas discharge tubes in high power circuits.
https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/...r-with-reading-schematics.178968/post-1628750
The ones I have are for lightning suppression on coax feed lines to my antennas. So, when they get zapped at extremely high voltage, they are the sacrificial element that has to be replaced. Much cheaper than the radios. Not quite the same as what you have but I would check the specifications for the tubes.
We use the RF devices too.
https://www.polyphaser.com/type-n-surge-protector-6ghz-4ghz-gas-discharge-tube-gth-nff-al
How do they blow up? Does the gas expand inside them?
Nope, usually melts the solder on the end caps or erodes/vaporizes the "pin" they are pressed against and causes an even greater spark gap to ground. The problem I have is they need a regular inspection because you cannot tell if they are working or damaged. They have never suffered a direct hit but even far misses can generate quite a bit of induced voltage. Years ago I came home and it was raining a gulley washer. So I jumped out of the car and put my briefcase over my head to keep the rain off my glasses and ran for the house. Lightning struck some distance away and the aluminum frame of the briefcase was induced with enough voltage to arc over to my hand giving me a bit of jolt as you get from static electricity and the doorknob. Not enough to really hurt but enough to get a few choice words out of me.
Heres a picture of my new to attempt single spark gap marx generator
The diodes will short the current to the capacitors, the "cross diagonal dischargers" have a 1 ohm resistance, and it charges up, and it discharges down, back through the resistors.
I dont know if itll work, it seems to be a miracle if anything does.
The diodes will short the current to the capacitors, the "cross diagonal dischargers" have a 1 ohm resistance, and it charges up, and it discharges down, back through the resistors.
I dont know if itll work, it seems to be a miracle if anything does.
Were you being a sinner that day? I have to watch out for bird shit every day myself.
My gas discharge tubes glow when the electricity is going through them, they are quite flashy, have you got the same effect on yours?
Spark gaps are very high resistance until the voltage reaches the breakdown rating, then they are a short circuit until the arc clears. Before they fire, there is no way to determine the voltage that each one sees.
So if you want to put two spark gaps in series, you will need to add two series resistors (of very high value) across the spark gaps to make sure they each see half the total voltage.
If you don't do this, the effective breakdown voltage may be just a bit higher than the rating of one of the spark gaps, and it will depend on parasitic effects that are likely not stable, like surrounding humidity.
These resistors will have to be rated for the high voltage across them, and the circuit has to be constructed so that the resistor leads don't form another unintentional spark gap.
This is the same idea as the bleeder resistor stack you will see across the high voltage rectifier stack of a CRT or a tube plate supply. In that case the resistors make sure that each rectifier "shares" the reverse voltage, so that a stack of several rectifiers has a breakdown voltage that is the sum of the individual breakdown ratings. This is the same idea.
So if you want to put two spark gaps in series, you will need to add two series resistors (of very high value) across the spark gaps to make sure they each see half the total voltage.
If you don't do this, the effective breakdown voltage may be just a bit higher than the rating of one of the spark gaps, and it will depend on parasitic effects that are likely not stable, like surrounding humidity.
These resistors will have to be rated for the high voltage across them, and the circuit has to be constructed so that the resistor leads don't form another unintentional spark gap.
This is the same idea as the bleeder resistor stack you will see across the high voltage rectifier stack of a CRT or a tube plate supply. In that case the resistors make sure that each rectifier "shares" the reverse voltage, so that a stack of several rectifiers has a breakdown voltage that is the sum of the individual breakdown ratings. This is the same idea.
