Tesla Coil Lightsabers

**bodi** · 01-02-2007, 07:18 AM

I would like to share an engineering idea I have for real sabers. This is mostly speculative, although the science is pretty sound, and I have some experimental reasons to believe it could work, although there would be a great deal of research needed to actually bring it to reality. Anyway, it's rather interesting, if you're into lightsabers and all...

In the early 20th century, Serbian inventer Nikola Tesla did a great deal of work with electrical arc producing apparatus. Several of his lines of research led him to discover a means whereby an electrical arc may be given the characteristics of solidity and rigidity.

He found that the arcs would begin to take on these qualities as the frequency increased. We are talking about extremely high frequencies here. I'm sure the waveform is important, too. You can research this in Tesla's work, but there is not a great deal of info on this to be had, just a mention of the effect.

Another contribution made by Tesla to the idea is the concept of the rotating magnetic field. It utilize's the phase differential rotation principle.

My blade emitter design is as follows:

The inner electrode is surrounded by a circular outer electrode as illustrated. The lower orange portion represents the superconductor which is being utilized as a magnetic mirror. The outer brown ring represents the stator coils. An AC voltage is applied to the electrodes at the lower end of the Tesla Effect range, which in conjunction with the introduction of certain materials into the arc stream provides us with the 'Tesla Effect' plasmoid arc, or tesloid.

Here is a possible design:

The AC we are applying has a phase relationship such that it confers rotation to the tesloid, at an extremely high rate of speed, so that a virtual field is created, as in the right portion of the figure. This 'field' would appear solid in appearance as well as effect, due to its extreme rate of spin.

As the tesloid rotates, the magnetic field it creates is reflected from the superconductor underneath and the tesloid is repulsed in the opposite direction of the emitter. As the tesloid continues to expand, the AC is modified towards the higher end of the TE and power range, and the field repulsion in conjuction with this allows for the growth of the blade.

Please note - this is NOT a 'containment field'. It is merely the principle used to elongate the blade.

At full extension, the AC reaches its peak for power, speed and TE.

I'll be posting a website in the not too distant future which will be devoted to my reseach with this principle and a more in depth explaination and discussion.

Enjoy!

**jedi tom** · 01-02-2007, 07:26 AM

sounds intresting though i didnt get a word of it. next time put it in simple form it a good idea.

**bodi** · 01-02-2007, 07:37 AM

http://www.abrownson.f2s.com/10183/small_sstc.htm

A very interesting tesla link.

**jedi tom** · 01-02-2007, 08:28 AM

have you built one of these things if so how

**xwingband** · 01-02-2007, 08:53 AM

Okay, now that you say what it is... there's a reason no one has done this. It's dangerous. The current offerings out there aren't actually going to hurt you if you hit someone with them. I don't think anyone is going to want to hold one of those devices either.

**bodi** · 01-02-2007, 09:08 AM

xwing,

I think you are confused.

1. This has nothing whatsoever to do with my replica design. This is just a theoretical construct.

2. The reason no one has done this (the design as shown above) is because this is the first time I have posted the idea, as well as the fact that there is some technology needed that has yet to be developed.

3. The link and the picture are of simply of a solid state tesla coil, not my lightsaber design, which is just theory at this point. Tesla coils are neat, but I wouldn't want to hold one either. Luckily, my design and tesla coils are two different things, although tesla coils give a starting place.

4. Of course lightsabers are dangerous. If your going to screw around with trying to make a real one, you can't avoid danger.

5. As far as my design goes, the destructive potential is not reliant on massive current, but rather on the properties of the arc.

Bodi

**Firebird21** · 01-02-2007, 09:12 AM

This is the most interesting version of this topic so far...

Imagine the possibilities with this type of setup... I'm not talking about as a "Real" Lightsaber, but for a "Damn close one".

Disclaimer: I am not an expert in electronics by any stretch of the imagination!

It is my understanding that the “Sparks” or “Plasma”, whatever it is, that you see in that pic is not dangerous for human contact. This is because the frequency needed to do that is so high that the electrons don’t pass through the skin and therefore, can not damage your nerviest system.
(There’s a demonstration at The Boston Science Museum with one of these suckers with a lot more power and the guy puts his hands right into the plasma and gives that explanation as to why he’s still alive)

Add’l information can be found here.

So if you can create a controlled effect like this that would simulate a real blade, then it could conceivably be used to make what appears to be a real lightsaber blade. The only problem is that it does little to no harm to anyone. It may blow up your electronic equipment if you get too close.

It also makes the Hum, you can get it to extend and retract, it just doesn’t come in any color by blue, and it would not likely have any solid mass. Unless this guy’s research is correct and it can be modified to have mass. The question then would be, ‘would the frequency be so high that it couldn’t do any damage to anything?’

If this arc could be elongated and formed into a 36” straight line, There’s your Lightsaber! …with a power cord!

Edit:
Here's some pics of that show I'm talking about and the Van de Graaff Generator they use (not for the part I mentioned earlier, although he touches lightning there too...)

**bodi** · 01-02-2007, 09:29 AM

It is my understanding that the “Sparks” or “Plasma”, whatever it is, that you see in that pic is not dangerous for human contact.

Correct to a point. The arc seen in the pic would not cut anything, and the frequency is high enough to produce a 'skin' effect and probably (although not necessarily) would not be very dangerous. (Once again, that pic is just a garden variety tesla coil).

What makes my design work is the fact that if we could jack the frequency up high enough (we can't yet), and find the right waveform, and such, the blade would have a kinetic aspect, and basically act like a tough, solid thread of matter rotating at super high speeds, and rather that burning, would shear through objects like a vibrating blade.

Depending on which materials are introduced into the arc stream, and the frequency, it is entirely possible, I believe, to have different colors as well, but thats also just theory.

Bodi

**Firebird21** · 01-02-2007, 09:38 AM

My take on the whole thing is:

1. This may never be a practical "Real Lightsaber", but it has theoretical potential.

2.It would make a really cool TOY or Novelty! (not intended for children) But you'd likely have to plug it in. And if you did get a battery to power it, I'd give it less than 5 sec. at full charge.

But boy would it be cool!