It’s Over 9000! (volts)
Posted on 18 February, 2009
Today was another field-trip day in ECE. We didn’t go too far – we walked a few feet to the rear of the building to the high-voltage research laboratory. You know, the biggest non-industrial university high-voltage lab in the country.
We walk into a large room filled with equipment that Nikolai Tesla would have recognized. The feeling in the room is similar to walking into Dr. Kleiner’s lab in Half-Life 2 (yes, video game reference). We were greeted by Dr. Grzybowski, a short, portly man. He has a Polish accent and talks very slowly.
We gather around the little man and listen to him talk about the Electrical Engineering department and the high-voltage lab. Brought up and planned in the last 50s, the building was finally built in the late 70s. The equipment never came in till the 80s. Since then, interest in high-voltage in the United States dwindled due to the “eco-friendly” being worried about electromagnetic radiation around high-voltage power lines. Since then, Asian and European countries have pioneered the way for higher voltage power transmission.
During his talk, a piece of paint fell from a ceiling vent and crashed to the floor. It allowed Dr. Grzybowsky to talk about aging and stress related to insulators through the example of humans getting weaker over time. He noted that everything breaks down and is healthiest when first built (or born). A really good metaphor for the break-down of insulators for high-voltage stuff. The polymers start crumbling and ceramic wears out. Things always need replacing.
We ended the day with a demonstration. We were shown a device called (here in the US) “Jacob’s Ladder.” Dr. Grzybowsky explained that when he first came to the United States, he didn’t understand why it was called that. He originally thought it was named after his professor, but later found out that it was from a story based in the Bible. He then explained what it did and why it does what it does. Then his graduate students turned the thing on it started to hiss and moan and crackle. The two metal poles arced and small arcs of electricity started rising up between the poles, changing color from red-ish to white. It was beautiful.
I think I might go into high-voltage. I’m already moving that way – why not? I have an interest and I really think high-voltage can be loads of fun. I’ve got four years to decide – I’ll find out what I really want to do. All I know is, the ECE program is the one I want to be in.
I’m interested in high voltage but the university I attend doesn’t have the laboritories to aid our studies.