Philosophy
The three founders of HVEC stand by the company's Emperor tandem test facility. L-R: Robert Van de Graaff; Denis Robinson; John Trump.
Robert Van de Graaff
December 20th, 1901 to January 16th, 1967
An "American physicist and inventor of the Van de Graaff generator, a type of high-voltage electrostatic generator that can be used as a particle accelerator in atomic research. The potential differences achieved in modern Van de Graaff generators can be up to 5 MV. It is a principle of electric fields that charges on a surface can leap off at points where the curvature is great, that is, where the radius is small. Thus, a dome of great radius will inhibit the electric discharge and added charge can reach a high voltage. This generator has been used in medical (such as high-energy X-ray production) and industrial applications (sterilization of food). In the 1950s, Van de Graaff invented the insulating core transformer able to produce high voltage direct current"
Robert Van de Graaff [Wikipedia]
Van de Graaff Generator [Wikipedia]
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Philosophy
Shocking...Robert Van de Graaff
The three founders of HVEC stand by the company's Emperor tandem test facility. L-R: Robert Van de Graaff; Denis Robinson; John Trump.Robert Van de Graaff
December 20th, 1901 to January 16th, 1967
An "American physicist and inventor of the Van de Graaff generator, a type of high-voltage electrostatic generator that can be used as a particle accelerator in atomic research. The potential differences achieved in modern Van de Graaff generators can be up to 5 MV. It is a principle of electric fields that charges on a surface can leap off at points where the curvature is great, that is, where the radius is small. Thus, a dome of great radius will inhibit the electric discharge and added charge can reach a high voltage. This generator has been used in medical (such as high-energy X-ray production) and industrial applications (sterilization of food). In the 1950s, Van de Graaff invented the insulating core transformer able to produce high voltage direct current"
Robert Van de Graaff [Wikipedia]
Van de Graaff Generator [Wikipedia]
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My Fellow Comedists, Yesterday was Towel Day, the international celebration of the work of Douglas Adams. Like all other nerds who love comedy, Douglas Adams was my hero. His dry, smart, playful humor has made him a modern day Lewis Carroll. My favorite...
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"Maker Faire Africa: Schoolgirls Create Urine-Powered Generator" by Philippa Warr November 9th, 2012 Wired According to the Maker Faire blog, the girls’ invention takes the urine and uses urea electrolysis to generate hydrogen, which can then be used...
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"From Edison’s Trunk, Direct Current Gets Another Look" by Michael Kanellos November 17th, 2011 The New York Times Thomas Edison and his direct current, or DC, technology lost the so-called War of the Currents to alternating current, or AC, in the...
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J. Robert Oppenheimer April 22nd, 1904 to February 18th, 1967 J[ulius] Robert Oppenheimer was a U.S. theoretical physicist and science administrator, noted as director of the Los Alamos laboratory during development of the atomic bomb [1943-45] and as...
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