Arcing and conductivity and object interference

  • Thread starter Thread starter omarcrysis
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Air Humidity
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on whether a bug flying between two points with 10cm of humid ocean air could trigger an electrical arc or act as an insulator. It is suggested that if the bug is large enough, it could get zapped, creating a plasma arc that might pyrolyze the bug. The presence of bug debris could potentially maintain an arc until cleared. The conversation also touches on the mechanics of bug zappers, which typically operate over smaller gaps and attract insects using light. Ultimately, the thread concludes with a warning against discussing dangerous experiments, leading to its closure.
omarcrysis
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
TL;DR Summary
Trying to figure out if a bug coming between two points will create an electrical arc. Say two points with 10cm of air between them. Bug flies between the two high voltage points. Does it get zapped?
Im trying to figure out if I were to have two points with 10cm of humid ocean air between them and a fly or mosquitoes flew between the points, if they would get zapped and create an electrical arc, or if the bug would act as an insulator and be avoided by the arc?

also, could the bug trigger the arc? say There was not enough voltage to almost arc with only air between the points, then the bug flies through and gets zapped But the arc dies out once the bug tumbles away.

i Imagine that setting the voltage low enough to not start on its own but high enough to start when a tiny bug went between the two points would be a very delicate balance… right?

thanks In advance
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
Welcome to PF.
omarcrysis said:
Im trying to figure out if I were to have two points with 10cm of humid ocean air between them and a fly or mosquitoes flew between the points, if they would get zapped and create an electrical arc, or if the bug would act as an insulator and be avoided by the arc?
If the bug was big enough, it would get zapped. The arc that follows is a plasma, that could largely pyrolyse the bug. The bug debris could hang around, and maintain an alternating arc, until the debris was cleared, and a change of polarity extinguished the arc.

Points have a continuous corona discharge that encourages breakdown, while the breakdown of the same width gap between spheres is far less likely.
 
omarcrysis said:
Im trying to figure out if I were to have two points with 10cm of humid ocean air between them and a fly or mosquitoes flew between the points, if they would get zapped and create an electrical arc, or if the bug would act as an insulator and be avoided by the arc?

also, could the bug trigger the arc? say There was not enough voltage to almost arc with only air between the points, then the bug flies through and gets zapped But the arc dies out once the bug tumbles away.

i Imagine that setting the voltage low enough to not start on its own but high enough to start when a tiny bug went between the two points would be a very delicate balance… right?

That's how some bug zappers work, but not with a 10cm gap. The High Voltage (HV) is applied across smaller gaps, and the bugs/flies are attracted with something like light. This is the bug zapper that I currently have running in my workshop:

1694106548273.png

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T6672BY/?tag=pfamazon01-20

EDIT/ADD -- I looked inside my bug zapper and the spacing between the alternating HV electrodes looks to be about 1cm or a little less...
 
Last edited:
Baluncore said:
Welcome to PF.

If the bug was big enough, it would get zapped. The arc that follows is a plasma, that could largely pyrolyse the bug. The bug debris could hang around, and maintain an alternating arc, until the debris was cleared, and a change of polarity extinguished the arc.

Points have a continuous corona discharge that encourages breakdown, while the breakdown of the same width gap between spheres is far less likely.
Perfect! Thank you!
berkeman said:
That's how some bug zappers work, but not with a 10cm gap. The High Voltage (HV) is applied across smaller gaps, and the bugs/flies are attracted with something like light. This is the bug zapper that I currently have running in my workshop:

View attachment 331622
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T6672BY/?tag=pfamazon01-20

EDIT/ADD -- I looked inside my bug zapper and the spacing between the alternating HV electrodes looks to be about 1cm or a little less...
yeah I was thinking of trying to build a high voltage racquet but with no metal mesh. You know, so that any mosquito that flies in will just get zapped out of thin air.

Same as a mosquito racquet but cooler and way more dangerous
 
omarcrysis said:
and way more dangerous
And we have a prohibition against dangerous discussions here at PF, so this thread is now closed. Have a nice day.
 
  • Like
Likes dlgoff

Thread 'Underwater piezoelectric sensor array receive sensitivity'

Hi all I have some confusion about piezoelectrical sensors combination. If i have three acoustic piezoelectrical sensors (with same receive sensitivity in dB ref V/1uPa) placed at specific distance, these sensors receive acoustic signal from a sound source placed at far field distance (Plane Wave) and from broadside. I receive output of these sensors through individual preamplifiers, add them through hardware like summer circuit adder or in software after digitization and in this way got an...
View full post »

Thread 'What happens if shielded cable has short to the shield?'

While I was rolling out a shielded cable, a though came to my mind - what happens to the current flow in the cable if there came a short between the wire and the shield in both ends of the cable? For simplicity, lets assume a 1-wire copper wire wrapped in an aluminum shield. The wire and the shield has the same cross section area. There are insulating material between them, and in both ends there is a short between them. My first thought, the total resistance of the cable would be reduced...
View full post »

Thread 'Question about bonding ground and neutral'

I am not an electrical engineering student, but a lowly apprentice electrician. I learn both on the job and also take classes for my apprenticeship. I recently wired my first transformer and I understand that the neutral and ground are bonded together in the transformer or in the service. What I don't understand is, if the neutral is a current carrying conductor, which is then bonded to the ground conductor, why does current only flow back to its source and not on the ground path...
View full post »

Similar threads

I Current's Effect on Electrical Arcs
Replies
9
Views
3K
Quantity of ions produced through arcing
Replies
9
Views
1K
Voltage of residential Air-Conditioner thermostats
Replies
11
Views
2K
Drive Died (arcing between pins on the PCBA)
Replies
5
Views
2K
Why can there be no arcing in a perfect vacuum?
Replies
13
Views
4K
Pressure and temperature of expanding humid air
Replies
8
Views
4K
Tethered aircraft lifting power, low gee world
Replies
17
Views
2K
Air Conditioner Efficiency - Humidity & Precooling
Replies
13
Views
16K
Death of a Condenser (with Autopsy)
Replies
8
Views
4K
Can Centrifugal Force Overcome Gravity?
Replies
1
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top