Project Whitefire
preliminary edition
Copyright © 2015 Brian Fraser
updated 12-4-16a

Project Whitefire had its origins in  the document ElectromagneticTestCells.html  The intent was to build hardware to investigate the gravitational effects of positive monopolar pulsed high voltage power, including interactions with high voltage RF fields, and microwaves as described in that document. A second phase was intended to investigate the gravitational effects of rotating pulsed fields. But the project proved impossible to schedule and was cancelled. Most of the parts and subsystems for the van de Graaff generator were made however, and I am now trying to upload drawings and photos that may be helpful to others who intend to build this machine and do the suggested experiments.  The drawings were made in Microsoft Word (the buggy, cluttered 2013 version-from-hell); they are informal, do not follow any strict conventions, but should be sufficient for machining parts.  They were converted to .pdf with the free on-line service at http://freepdfconvert.com  or by simply saving them as .pdf directly from MS Word. Drawings have not been double checked for errors and may have some ambiguities or inconsistencies.  ( Feedback is appreciated:  brianfraser427@yahoo.com )

Initial "shakedown" tests on this VDG (see photos below) showed :

• the machine can produce robust (loud!) sparks about 3.2 inches long with a repetition rate of 1.2 times per second when connected to a (leaky) cylindrical PVC capacitor 

• the short circuit current test showed that the upper terminal has positive polarity (as expected)

• the protoptye belt charge spray unit of 25 kV produced no measurable effect on spark repetition rate or short circuit current. (The prototype unit consists of a battery, an ignition coil, and automotive breakerpoints/capacitor driven by an electric drill with a 4-lobed cam in the chuck.  The unit itself works very well.)

• further improvements to the triboelectric charging scheme (Teflon roller sleeves, different belt material, etc) could increase the output to 300 to 800 microamps

• One lower roller was covered with Teflon tape (specifically, "PTFE thread tape 3/4 x 300 heavy duty", Enco part No. 073-06900476) and the other roller/belt system was disconnected. When the VDG was turned on, the short circuit current was initially 15 micoamps and rose to over 50 micoramps after 7 minutes. The increase in current due to the Teflon coating was nowhere near the expected value.

• The same roller was later stripped and re-coated with Teflon tape for gas piping (4 mil, 3/4" width, yellow, less porous  Zoro source ). The roller was retested and gave a current of 65 microamps.

• Testing short circuit current with a 50 micoramp meter is very useful for seeing the effects of belt tension, belt cleanliness, brush spacing, charging schemes, etc.  A mechanical meter with a 100  microamp range would be a better match to this machine's output.

• Short circuit testing with a EDM-80 mechanical microammeter (-10 to +100;  http://www.amazon.com/Eisco-Analog-Ammeter-Current-Meter/dp/B00IUZ9GOS/ref=sr_1_1 ) gave max indicated current of 90 microamps; (both rollers using ordinary Teflon thread tape; Weather: ambient 64.4F,  Dew point 41F, Relative Humidity 42% .  During these short circuit tests, the lower, unenclosed part of the column bistles with static electricity. It was later wrapped with clear plastic food wrap. Output rose to 110 microamps (on a 500 microamp meter) . There is apparently a lot of leakage from corona and this is limiting the current and voltage output. This design may be "too compact" for using ambient air as an insulator.

These drawings and photos in the links below may be used nonexclusively by anyone for educational, personal, or non-commercial use.  User assumes all liabilities and responsibilities for his use and acknowledges that these machines are not toys and can be very dangerous and have both known and unknown hazards in their intended use. Author retains right to maintain and update documents, photos, and website.

A summary of the research objectives can be found in Non-contactLevitation.pdf .

Fabrication techniques for a bipolar Tesla coil can be found at BipolarTeslaCoilFabrication   .


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		Base+ColumnAssembly/Base+ColumnAssembly.html  (photos)   Base+Column.pdf  (drawings)
		UpperTerminalSection/UpperTerminalConstruction.html  (photos)     UpperTerminalFramework.pdf  (drawings)
		MakingTheBeltRollers.html  (photos)     RollerDrawings.pdf  (drawings)
		Belts/BeltMaking.html
		LowerBearing&BrushHolder.html  (photos)     Bearing+Brush_Supports.pdf  (drawings, lower and upper)
		Brushes.html ( photos)
		Provisional Brush Power Supply  (photos)
		SparkSystem.html  (photos)   SparkSystem.pdf (drawings)
		MotorAssembly.html  (photos)     Custom_motor_shroud.pdf  (drawing)     Gear_safety_shield.pdf     (drawing)

Accessory Equipment post

Controls

BrokenTapDisintegration.pdf  

See pictures below of the assembled van de Graaff

Photo of the complete prototype Van de Graaff generator (VDG) in front of a garage door.  Visible are the 14" upper terminal, one of two 6" wide belts, a simple control panel, and an electric drill driving automotive breaker points for a prototype 25kV lower brush supply. The crease in the vinyl belt is due to a "double cone" profile of only 0.5 degrees on the upper roller. The bottom roller has a flat profile.  Belt tracking and adjustment were satisfactory.

Here the double roller system and the two belts can be seen. The bottom rollers are PVC. The gears are barely visible in the back. The lower pulley is driven by an AC/DC "universal" chain saw motor. Violent starts are softened with two NTC thermistors (8 amp;  Honeywell ICL2210008-01)  connected in series with the power line. The accessory equipment post stands upright on the right. At the base, is the housing for the ignition coil. This setup is very noisy during operation due to the AC/DC chain saw motor and the gears.  An alternative would be to use an AC induction motor with a 2:1 or 3:1 (?) step-up pulley ratio. The gears could be replaced by a figure 8 belt and two pulleys of equal size

MotorAssembly.html  (photos)     Custom_motor_shroud.pdf  (drawing)     Gear_safety_shield.pdf     (drawing)MotorAssembly.html  (photos)     Custom_motor_shroud.pdf  (drawing) Gear_safety_shield.pdf     (drawing)

Corona  control rings were later added to the van de Graaff

Another side view shows the gearbox cover. This machine has no bottom terminal.  It is not intended to produce sparks. The voltage and current produced are sent elsewhere to a test cell where the relation between gravity and high voltage, pulsed, monopolar,  rotating fields can be systematically investigated. See:   ElectromagneticTestCells.html In actual operation the column is wrapped in layers of plastic food wrap film, and the terminal is covered with a clear plastic trash bag, all to reduce corona. The lower brushes are presently connected to the power line safety ground, instead of the 25kV supply. The main use of the equipment post is to hold the magnetic spark gap system: original spark gap system revised spark gap system See SparkSystem.html  for details.