ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES FROM CHARGED WATER CLOUDS

This investigation demonstrated that a slow moving cloud could be charged with a sufficiently high density to produce electrical discharges and established methods for studying these discharges. Electrically charged clouds, made up of drops of water, neither large enough to fall nor too small to evaporate were contained inside a 414 cu. m. test chamber. These particles obtained their charge mixing with a supersonic jet that carried a charged water aerosol. The discharges obtained using the charged mist were intense, but whether or not the intensity was enough to be considered sparks could not be concluded. However, the inability of corona discharges to ignite propane-air mixtures were confirmed. It was concluded that oil drops were more of a potential hazard for incendiary discharges than water drops, and that large isolated bodies can obtain enough charge through corona discharges to produce incendiary sparks.

• Corporate Authors:

  State University of New York, Albany

  Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, 251 Fuller Road
  Albany, NY  United States  12203
• Authors:
  • BARRETO, E
• Publication Date: 1971-3-26

Media Info

• Pagination: 18 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cleaning; Electric discharge; Electrostatics; Ions; Storage tanks
• Old TRIS Terms: Charged particles; Electric corona; Tank cleaning
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00043955
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Mine Safety Appliances Research Corporation
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 4 1973 12:00AM