Chuck, Thanks for clarifying the purposes of the bulb. The basic question, however, is still looking for an answer:
>> Does anyone know how to design a 5 mA current regulator ? >> (Any references or ideas appreciated.) As Mike wrote: >> ...it makes sense to try current limiting at something below >> that at which the descending cloud of darker particles is seen. >> That's what I would try. >> >> I've long thought that current limiting schemes of various sort >> would emerge as the best strategy once we start to really study >> the process. Any clues ? --Bill At 11:21 AM 7-13-98 -0700, Chuck wrote: > >This is Marsha's husband replying. My name is Chuck Hallett and my >profession is Electrical Engineering. I am writing to hopefully describe >the purpose of the light bulb in the silver generator circuit. > >The primary purpose of the bulb is to limit current in the event the >electrodes touch each other (short circuit). > >When the wires touch, or your alligator clips touch, the current in the >batteries and the wires is limited only by the internal resistance of the >batteries and the connecting wires. Electrical Current generates heat. >Lots of current generates lots of heat. Try this, take a single nine volt >battery (a used but not totally dead one) and connect a spare alligator clip >lead to each terminal. You should notice the wire getting anything from >warm to hot enough to melt the insulation. > >The bulb limits the current to 40 milliamps which is a reasonable amount of >current for the battery circuit, and far below what the colloidal silver >process will use. > >If the leads short together, at best, your batteries ($4.95 retail each) >will quickly discharge and you'll be out buying new ones. At worst the heat >generated could cause the wires to melt, and at an extreme, cause a fire. > >Why a 28 volt 40 milliamp lamp? Answer: Economies of supply. > >28 volts because we don't want the bult to burn out if we short the wires >together. When this happens all you've done is closed the switch on what is >now the equivalent of a flashlight. If a smaller voltage bulb were used, >it would glow very brightly for a short period of time and burn out. Then >it would act like a blown fuse, i.e. no silver generation until replaced >with a new bulb. > >40 milliamps because it is a reasonable limiting value for the circuit and >more importantly it is a commonly available bulb (at Radio Shack anyway). >Just like the light bulbs you put in your lamps, these small lamps come in >standard sizes. You can get different sizes which would work, but they are >harder to get and much more expensive. > >Lastly the bulb serves as a battery condition indicator. > >The bulb serves no purpose in the silver generation process, it is only >there for the reasons stated, and you can make a perfectly functioning >generator without the bulb, by connecting the silver electrodes directly to >the batteries. You just run the risk of running your batteries down >quickly. If you are worried about a fire, either make sure nothing >combustible is near the batteries & wire, or don't do it. > >I hope this sheds some light (pun intended) on the situation. Direct all >flames to me at [email protected] >-----Original Message----- >From: Bill Kingsbury <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] <[email protected]> >Date: Monday, July 13, 1998 9:27 AM >Subject: Re: An observation... > > >> >>I read that the 40 mA bulb was used to limit the current to >>40 mA maximum -- and lower currents would be desirable, (if >>smaller bulbs were available) to minimize colloidal particle size. >> >>George's current is no where near 40 mA, and the results seem >>to be compromised or questionable, already (at 36 vdc). >> >>Does anyone know how to design a 5 mA current regulator ? >>(Any references or ideas appreciated.) >> >>Or, could one use 6 vdc, and keep a batch running 24 hours a day >>(in a dark place) ? >> >>--Bill >> >> >> >>At 10:10 AM 7-13-98 -5, Mike D. wrote: >>> >>>On 13 Jul 98 at 22:15, George Martin wrote: >>> >>>> When the current read 8.0 - 10.0 ma >>>> I noticed something different occur. In addition to the CS >>>> 'floating' around in the vicinity of the electrodes there was >>>> also a rather thick 'stream' of CS that was sinking to the >>>> bottom of the container. >>> >>>Hello George, >>> >>>Excellent set of observations. Your setup is very similar to mine. >>>I see the same effect at about the same current. >>> >>>I wonder if those are larger particles. A long time ago Rose used a >>>microscope at work to look at some CS I made that was run for a long >>>time (different apparatus and recipe than I'm using now). She saw >>>much larger particles mixed with the almost invisible smaller ones. >>> >>>Above a certain current, some people have talked about "burning" the >>>silver particles. I doubt that's a proper description, but it conveys >>>the notion that the particles made are different. >>> >>>So it makes sense to try current limiting at something below that at >>>which the descending cloud of darker particles is seen. That's what I >>>would try. >>> >>>I've long thought that current limiting schemes of various sort would >>>emerge as the best strategy once we start to really study the >>>process. I've also wondered if there is a calculable property that >>>would let you predict that threshold level, such as current density >>>(current flow vs. surface area of electrodes). You're welcome to try >>>the experiments. >>> >>>Be well, >>> >>>Mike D. >>> -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: [email protected] -or- [email protected] with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the subject: line. To post, address your message to: [email protected] List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
