High voltage wire

This forum is for specialized infomation important to the construction and safe operation of the high voltage electrical supplies and related circuitry needed for fusor operation.
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Leonardo Chen
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High voltage wire

Post by Leonardo Chen »

I am wondering, would this high voltage wire work? It is rated at 40kv but there is no current rating listed.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/10ft-HV-Tesla- ... Swr6RZg3H2 Thank you.
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Richard Hull
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by Richard Hull »

The current rating on HV wire is never important especially in the fusor's case. Only the voltage rating is important. Be sure that the voltage rating is correct..... super important!! Unmarked wire is always suspect, but a good, trained eye can make a close guess.

Are you planning on pushing a single little amp through the wire delivered at 40,000 volts? Will your house handle that 40,000 watt delivery rate??

You need to be very concerned about the current capacity of HV conductors if if your putting up giant high tension towers delivering 10 to 100 megawatts of power continuously.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
ian_krase
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by ian_krase »

Otoh, I have to say I'm a bit skeptical as to the thickness of that insulation.
Jerry Biehler
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by Jerry Biehler »

It will hold up. This is not the typical silicone wire.
Duncan Wilkie
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by Duncan Wilkie »

I have a length of this wire, and it is indeed rated 40kv on the casing, however, there are only 7 22-30 gauge copper strands in the conductor. Here's a pic:
IMG_2585.JPG
Don't know whether this is suitable for fusion work, probably not for Tesla coils though due to tiny current capacity.
Some say the glass is half full. Others see it as half empty. I say it is twice as big as it needs to be.
Jerry Biehler
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by Jerry Biehler »

It's 22ga, this is very common HV wire used on lasers and stuff. 22ga can actually handle up to 9 amps with PE insulation which this wire uses.
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Richard Hull
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by Richard Hull »

Even if you used only 4 amps at 30,000 volts, that wire could not even get warm passing 120,000 watts of fusion electricity!!.... Something no household in the U.S. could ever have enter it, but that little conductor could handle it if you needed it.

More likely you will do fusion at 10 ma at 30,000 volts..... 300 watts.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Bob Reite
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by Bob Reite »

Yep, I've never seen a residence with a 600 amp service! When I lived on the west coast, I did encounter a resistance heated Bel Air mansion with a 400 amp service. It was built in the mid 1930's or so for Warner Baxter. Being a movie star, he could afford a big electric bill.
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The testing isn't over until the prototype is destroyed.
prestonbarrows
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Re: High voltage wire

Post by prestonbarrows »

You will never have to worry about current carrying capability (ampacity) of wire for fusor level endeavors. To exceed the ampacity of even the thinnest wire at fusion relevant voltages would require more power than industrial installations and $100,000's of specialized power supplies.

Voltage insulation is all you really care about. Generally, in the realm of cheap amateur shit, silicone stuff is best (adding a braided ground shield helps a lot). Fully shielding any electronics from power arcs is always good. Standard RG8 can be pushed up towards 20-30 kV without much issue, plenty to get your foot into the fusor door.

As a quick example, 40 kV wire is available on mcmaster at around three bucks per foot. The current rating is ~THIRTY AMPS. Or ONE POINT TWO MILLION WATTS power capacity.
https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-elec ... e/=1c0461r
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