X-Ray machine transformer demo

I finally connected my xray machine transformer up and tested it out. This demo is using about 60kV not the full 100kV rating. I will soon post a video when I dare to go that high!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• high
• voltage
• arc
• transformer
• xray

[mimic58]

how much did the transformer cost you?

[MrGoogfan]

@jmartis2

about 14-15cm

[jmartis2]

@MrGoogfan That sounds right. How far does it jump with wire/needle electrodes?

[MrGoogfan]

Well, my 100kv will only jump 11 cm with 1" ball electrodes.

[jmartis2]

@MrGoogfan Then how could the SIBNIIE Marx generator have made a 70-meter spark with just 5MV? I don't want to argue, but 100kV will surely jump much further than 10cm with pointy electrodes (wires etc.)

[MrGoogfan]

@jmartis2

I said spark, not arc. Sparks are instantaneous, arcs are drawn out.

Pre-ionization does not really have any effect, because ionized o2 immediately turns to neutral, yet unstable 03.

[jmartis2]

@MrGoogfan 60kV has 60*1.41= cca 85kV peak voltage, which according to this rule would fire at 8.5cm. But with such high voltages pre-ionisation takes place, and the spark can jump further.

However the voltage says nothing on how far you can draw out the spark, eg. a MOT has only 2kV but you can draw 12cm arcs out of it.

[MrGoogfan]

@jmartis2

actually, 10kV gives a roughly 1cm spark. So 60kV is only 6cm

[kalebman5000]

yeah electricity is kinda weird, like every 10kv higher, everything changes. idk, you just gotta estimate i guess

thats a smart formula though, it took me a minute to understand it (not very good at math)

[jmartis2]

I have worked out this arc length formula:

L=V*sqrt(I)*4

where L arc is length in cm

V is open circuit voltage in KV

I is short circuit current in amps

only it does not seem to work on very high voltages (30KV+) or very low currents