Reply To: turn heat into electricity

[willit]

insulator cracking caused by mechanical stresses can be relieved by increasing clearances and insulating the insulator with flesable element (O RING) or by decreasing the stress applied or by changing the location of the stress. much like applying a large force on a window pane well supported or applying the same force on a poorly supported pane will render a different result.
from what i understand the material must comply with several operating parameters.
1 capable of 100 to 200 KV dielectric strength at low frequency for now.
2 capable of exposure to high temperature plasma
3 capable of exposure to high intensity xrays/ gamma rays / and the occasional neutron bombardment.
4 mechanical stresses both loading and thermal.
5 inexpensive and readily available
it sounds as if the chosen material is suitable in many aspects but application needs reconsideration.
if all things are equal there shouldn’t be shifting of side loading of any part of the machine.
if there is a push to the side i think this may lead back to asymmetric firing of the filaments.
if the insulator is properly supported and equally loaded it should not break.
if the insulator is fracturing at the joint between the flat plane and the cylinder it seems likely that there is a side force acting on the inner cathode.
if the insulator is fracturing at the edge is is coming in contact with conductor plates and flexed out of plane. if the edge shows signs of thermal shock it is likely from flashover.

in my opinion keep the existing material and support it differently.