John Thomas Winskas

NREC-Jacobs Ladder.

• • Projects Assigned from Metrology Engineer

  • Project #1 Jacobs ladder

  • Jacobs ladder prototype 1- 2 pieces of  10'"  (1/2 a cm) copper wire, oil igniter (6Kv; 100 mA power supply), a power cord, and a switch. 

  • Used pliers to turn copper wire around positive and negative terminal of the oil igniter cut tip of power cord and peeled back rubber protective coating, used wire stripper to strip positive & negative wires spliced power cord wires to positive and negative wires of oil igniter plugged in device to power strip. listened for buzzing noise. unplugged from the power strip. adjusted copper wires 1 centimeter at base to 2 centimeters at top of ladder. 

  • added a switch; un-spliced power cord wires from positive and negative wires of power supply; Spliced positive and negative wires to positive & negative wires of switch; spliced positive and negative wires at other side of switch to positive and negative wires of terminal; plugged power cord into power strip hopefully with the switch in the closed position.  Flipped switch to open position, observed space between copper wires for ionized air/plasma between copper wires. Observed density differential caused by the heat of the plasma; creating an upward movement of the plasma between the copper wires until reaching the apex or top of the ladder. Then the dissolution of the plasma at the top of the device and the formation of a new plasma at the bottom of the copper wires where the copper wires are closest. 

  • 
    

  • Prototype #2  Jacobs ladder 

  • Used brackets to fasten 2 plywood boards together at a 90-degree angle to protect individuals from the ionized air/plasma between the copper wires and fastened power supply to the bottom board.

  • 
    

  • Prototype #3  Plexi-glass safety cover

  • Unfastened power supply from plyboard, un-spliced power cord, switch, and power supply wires;  Used a personal cell phone stand as a holder for the power supply; Used Dremel tool to saw and cut beams & boards out of cell phone stand to fit power supply into cleared out cell phone stand box; fastened oil igniter power supply to cell Phone stand box; fitted switch into back of cell phone stand horizontally. Plugged power cord in and tested device. Observed successful Ionization of air/plasma between copper wires. 

  • 
    

  • Prototype #4 Worked with machine shop for final adjustments to Jacob's ladder for NREC demonstrations 

  • From an oil igniter, power cord , eell phone stand and Plexi-glass, worked with machine shop staff cell phone stand to protect users from ionized air/plasma generated from the 6000v 100mA power supply; staff assisted with drilling holes for fastening screws and added top for extra safety to cut spacings for cell phone holder and cutting spacings to allow for the wood box to flex allowing plexiglass to fit securely into cell phone stand box. 

• • project #3 - power supply