Electrostatics by A. D. Moore

Author:A. D. Moore [Moore, A. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science / Alternative
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Unexpected Shocks from Capacitors

Follow me closely. I connect my sphere gap and my 50 pF capacitor to a Dirod. I open the gap wide, charge the capacitor, and then stop the generator. Slowly closing the gap, I observe that it sparks at 45 kV. Then I know that the capacitor had been charged to that voltage. All right. The spark has discharged the system, hasn’t it? Maybe. We find out. I continue to close the gap, slowly. It sparks again, at perhaps 15 kV. There was a very considerable remaining charge! That oscillatory first spark died out before all charge was removed. So: if I want to discharge completely, I had better close the gap completely, and short-circuit (that is, “short”) the system.

But there is more to be said, and the safety bulletin mentioned earlier says it. Many high-grade capacitors in use today will recover a fair part of the original energy storage if left on open circuit after complete discharge. They may do this in minutes, or in months, depending on the dielectric used. There may be as much as 10 percent recovery of the original voltage.

In your experimenting, you may decide to let off a really wicked spark by getting some large war-surplus capacitors. I don’t recommend it. But if you do it take every precaution while experimenting. Run no risks. When done, be sure to short the capacitors, and put them away. Don’t remove that short. If you do, this residual effect might give someone a terrific jolt, even months later.

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