SodiumCyanide (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

i was just waiting for the ionized arc to hit the next phase... then boom!

fengineer08 (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

I was suprised when it didnt flash between the other phase... but then it did!

BenHutchinson1 (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

When you say "near" it, do you mean for example that the guy with the camera here was too "near" it? Because while the explosion would be loud from where he was, he wasn't close enough to get fried (which would have to be right up on the pole near the arc).

BenHutchinson1 (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

I do not believe the explosion is an arc suppression cannon. As I already said I believe it is an electrical explosion from the short circuit when the arc crosses the phases. And I also do not believe the sparks seen flying are from the metal "confetti" from the arc suppression cannon. I believe that the electrical explosion already had enough heat and force to accomplish this by melting and blasting away part of the wires or other involved conductors.

BenHutchinson1 (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

I might be mistaken, but I think what is happening here is the arc rises until it touches another phase, then it shorts the phase creating a LOUD bang (like when I short the charged capacitor in my camera flash with a screwdriver). Then at the same instant a fuse or breaker up the line trips, which stops the arc instantly. The sparks you see are chips of molten metal blasted off the wires by the force of the electric explosion from the short circuit.

RyuDarragh (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

Oh, forgot to mention, look at the frame at 59:30.1. You can see the simple spark filled column shooting up onto the arc from below.

RyuDarragh (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

The arc happens because the lines are unbalanced, but the reasons you don't want to be near the arc supressor mortar are more than the ones you hit on (loud and very hot.. it's an *explosion*, after all :P), but because that column is also *conductive*. You notice how thw whole column glowed pink and blue? You might get fried by the stray voltage arcing to ground. The arc stop also does double duty both diverting voltage and blowing the arc out.

BenHutchinson1 (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

By "not want to be near it", are you refering to the metalic power launcher? or are you refering to the blower that blows air on the arc afterwards to blow the arc out?And by not wanting to be near it, do you mean because it makes a VERY LOUD noise?And in this video it looked like there wasn't any safety device. In the end the arc rose up to the line of the other phase, and on contact created a short circuit, and I think the smoke and sparks is from melting and vaporizing metal wires.

RyuDarragh (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

It forces the arc to get *longer* because it has to jump from speck to speck (it's more like metallic confetti). A longer arc is easier to blow out. It's fired from something that looks like a mortar as you do *not* want to be near it when it hits the arc :P

BenHutchinson1 (December 31, 1969 at 4:59 pm)

What is the advantage of having the arc flow through a conductive powder?