Reply To: NIMBY FUD
The Focus Fusion Society › Forums › Lawrenceville Plasma Physics Experiment (LPPX) › Arcing problems. The how, what, where, and why. › Reply To: NIMBY FUD
asymmetric_implosionWe seldom have problems with stainless steel contacts. We typically connect SS304 plates to silver plated aluminum and copper with little trouble. If you want the SS304 surface to behave you could have it nickel plated. We considered nickel plating at contacts between SS304. Another approach is brazing copper onto the SS304 which makes a good contact at the SS304 copper interface and make the current contact between two interfaces of silver plated copper.
Using stronger bolts does not guarantee better pressure. The strength is determined by the strength of the threads into what I hope is the steel.
If the arc is always in the same location you might have a low spot on one of the surfaces. A nice face cut could help. You need to make sure the steel bites into the copper by more than the machine tolerance for the flatness. We always have a perceptible (by touch) indention even after the first contact. We’ve changed cathodes, anodes and other pieces over and over without any problems.