It was the coolest thing. A mere rubber band, a rubber band, running over pulleys, driven through gears, set in motion by my child's hand, produced hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity. Incredible sparks. Mysterious forces. What could be cooler than that?
Decades passed, but my fascination with Van de Graaffs didn't.
This blog will describe a series of VdG generator designs that I am now developing, and will soon produce and make available on a limited basis. These machines will be of the highest quality throughout, with ball bearing motors and idler pulleys, heavy gauge stainless steel spheres, transparent acrylic columns, and oversized, high-efficiency motors.
Maya experiments with an early model machine in the image at right. Maya's technical assistance has been invaluable throughout this development effort.
The noise levels of these generators will be orders of magnitude lower than typical machines because of the high quality of the motors, bearings, and pulleys, a critical consideration in any VdG used for teaching.
Designed from the ground up with a modular construction paradigm, the columns can be swapped out for longer or shorter generators, motors changed for higher current or smoother operation. The generators are designed for convenient access for belt replacement and cleaning. They will be built to be used, maintained, and rebuilt for decades of service.
Stay tuned for the "first arcs" to appear here soon.
-Mark
