Talk-Polywell.org

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http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/user-advis/0 ... uides.html

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This is for up to 15 KV, but it is a start.

MSimon wrote:*

http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/user-advis/0 ... uides.html

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This is for up to 15 KV, but it is a start.

Very good stuff.
I've used feedthroughs from all of the companies mentioned and they are very reliable. They did not mention instituting lockdown tag on procedures for all high voltage and superconducting devices. This is important as the controls may be at a long distance from the device and its all to easy to point a mouse at the wrong thing and energize something that should not be energized. Also all high voltage should be grounded when the can is open.

Also all high voltage should be grounded when the can is open.

That was the procedure used in working on high power transmitters. They use something called a grounding hook. Which was a hook shaped piece of copper connected to a piece of grounded heavy copper braid. You hooked it over the high voltage bus bar while you worked on the eqpt.

Also door interlocks. The hook was a secondary protection mechanism.

The biggest problem with any safety system is people getting too familiar with it. Never be in a hurry. It's a sure way to die. Way too many people who should have known better have been fried by bypassing safety interlocks for "one more quick test".

Even dinking around in your basement or garage. Take this stuff seriously!!

drmike wrote:The biggest problem with any safety system is people getting too familiar with it. Never be in a hurry. It's a sure way to die. Way too many people who should have known better have been fried by bypassing safety interlocks for "one more quick test".

Even dinking around in your basement or garage. Take this stuff seriously!!

No kidding. when i was working at TJNAF somebody energized a superconducting magnet while a crew was surveying around it(they used survey equipment to map parts of the accelerator. The magnet ate the laser transit and subsequently exploded, driving tinfoil insulation into the walls of the experimental hall, a concrete bunker. Nobody was killed but that was just a lucky miracle. The safety guy sent a warning to the physics crew involved to change their safety policies and take the safety rules seriously. This group of genius' thought that the rules were for other people and the safety guy shut them down and pulled their experiment from the beamline and made sure we all knew what had happened and why. I do not understand how people so smart could be so stupid.

drmike wrote:The biggest problem with any safety system is people getting too familiar with it. Never be in a hurry. It's a sure way to die. Way too many people who should have known better have been fried by bypassing safety interlocks for "one more quick test".

Even dinking around in your basement or garage. Take this stuff seriously!!

I was always scared to death when working on high power transmitters. Especially when it was only me and the DJ in the building. (a big no no generally - always work in pairs). Any way being scared to death. Moving slow. Thinking through every move. Is probably why I am still alive and didn't blow up any eqpt. during repairs.

Heck. 110 VAC scares me to death.

I used to work on traction batteries (132VDC, 980 amp-hours) and I really moved slow and careful with those things. Think twice before moving. Especially connecting up the main feed lines (0.3 square inch copper leads) to the main contactors or the HRC fuses.

They were used to drive mining locomotives, that worked underground (in the main airways, so not explosion proof). Solid-state drives (Jones choppers) with 500 amp rated SCRs. Never liked the big power stuff. Too easy to die if you didn't cross all your Ts and dot all your Is.

Regards,
Tony Barry