1
The Setup
Prototype equipment constructed to study Pulsed Power effects, such as exploding wire vapor deposition on various substrates, rail gun and ring launcher experiments, coin shrinking, and just blowing stuff up for the fun of it!
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2
High Voltage Power Supply and Energy Storage Capacitor
The blue high voltage power supply is used to slowly charge the white capacitor to several thousand volts, which can be all released in an instant by the remotely operated high current switch on the side of the capacitor.
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3
High Current Remotely Operated Firing Switch
This special firing switch was built to withstand thousands of Amps of current which is sent to a fine copper wire, causing it to instantly vaporize and explode.
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4
Firing Switch Contacts
The spring loaded plunger is pulled back and cocked, and when the string is pulled from a safe distance, the bottom contact slams into the top and completes the circuit.
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5
Ready to Fire
When the firing switch closes, the energy stored in the capacitor is released all at once into a fine wire connected across the two big black cables.
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6
Blast Plate
A piece of white Melamine board is used to place the exploding wire on, and a smaller piece of Melamine board is placed directly on top of the wire. This one has had a dozen or so shots done on top of it.
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7
Today's Results - 6/23/2009
Here are six different pieces of Melamine board which have been subjected to explosions from different types of wire, and even steel wool.
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8
Experiment #1 - 6" x 12"
The very first shot from the assembled equipment resulted in this image, using tin plated copper wire which vaporized onto the white Melamine background. You can see where the vaporized copper was deposited on the board, which has an iridescent metallic look to it. Other colors come from various compounds produced by the intense heat.
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9
Experiment #2 - 6" x 12"
Tin plated copper wire formed into a zig-zag shape, and the resulting image.
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10
Experiment #3 - 6" x 12"
This turned out to be the biggest blast so far, but it's unknown why this one produced such a violent explosion. This top board was blown upwards and hit the ceiling with a thud, and produced this image.
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11
Experiment #4 - 6" x 12"
Two different shots of different materials produced this amazing image. The top part was made by using steel wool, while the darker bottom image was made by vaporizing a thin aluminum strip cut from a soda can. The paint and coating on the aluminum may have added some colors and details itself.
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12
Experiment #5 - 6" x 12"
Made with tin plated copper wire, bunched up on one end and straight on the other. Lots of colors in this one!
Like cloud pictures, images start to appear from the seemingly random patterns if you look at one of these long enough. I can see a woman's face in this one and birds in #1, so let your imagination go and see what you can see in them!
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