Robert K. U. S. Air .- HOW TO CREATE BALL LIGHTNING Golka, Jr., Box 676, Brockton, MA Forc'e, Flight Dynamics Laboratory 02403 At last the discovery of how to produce ball lightning on a command and controlled basis has been discovered by Robert K. Golka, Jr. It took 23 years and thousands of . failures to develop the techniques. Similar plasma balls have appeared i n dwellings on rare occasions and on commercial and military aircra$t during flight. The type Golka has created are similar to what has come into airplanes during flight and that have appeared in WW-2 submarines during maneuvers. They consist of a liquid metal core or kernel surrounded by a metal vapor boundary layer. It has characteristics very much like a drop of water bounc- ing and dancing for a few seconds on a hot cast-iron stove. With higher power input to the fireball it can be made to flow and travel higher from a surface or ground area. What does one need to make ball lightning? 1. A transformer of 150,000 wdtts capable of providing approximately 10,000 amperes at 15 volts 60 cycle. 2. Thick one inch cables of stranded wire leading into a 3 x 4 x 1 foot plastic tank. 3. Quarter inch thick 4" x 6" aluminum p l a t e to' b4 used as one of the discharge electrodes, the other selectrode being the heavy (400 MCM) copper wire with the insulation stripped back 6 inches. By shorting the cable against the aluminum plate under. water, quarter inch fireballs or lightning balls will appear out of the water and dance around on its surface. Of course, protective clothing and goggles are necessary. These lightning balls sometimes dance right out of the tank onto the floor, They seem to be hot to the touch only if you squeeze them. They are a brilliant white color indicat- ing a slow combustion of aluminum. If higher temperatures are reached and different metals are used, the color of the fireballs will be different. It appears that the ball is spinning or the inside kernel is spinning. With the stated ampere and voltage ratios, they have lasted for almost 2 seconds. More power in would increase their lifetimes. Other variations are currently under investigation. The high temperature limits of these fireballs is now b e i n g studied. 110-1 https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910023414 2020-06-16T05:12:51+00:00Z

Jr., 02403 Air - NASA · fireballs will be different. It appears that the ball is spinning or the inside kernel is spinning. With the stated ampere and voltage ratios, they have lasted

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Page 1: Jr., 02403 Air - NASA · fireballs will be different. It appears that the ball is spinning or the inside kernel is spinning. With the stated ampere and voltage ratios, they have lasted

Robert K. U. S. A i r

.- HOW TO CREATE BALL L I G H T N I N G

Golka, Jr., Box 6 7 6 , Brockton, MA Forc'e, F l i g h t Dynamics Laboratory

02403

A t l a s t t h e d i scove ry of how t o produce b a l l l i g h t n i n g on a command and control led basis has been d i scove red by Robert K. Golka, Jr. It took 23 y e a r s and thousands of . f a i l u r e s t o develop t h e techniques . S i m i l a r plasma b a l l s have appeared i n dwe l l ings on rare occas ions and on commercial and m i l i t a r y aircra$t du r ing f l i g h t .

The type Golka has c r e a t e d are s i m i l a r t o what has come i n t o a i r p l a n e s du r ing f l i g h t and t h a t have appeared i n WW-2 submarines du r ing maneuvers. They c o n s i s t o f a l i q u i d m e t a l core o r k e r n e l surrounded by a m e t a l vapor boundary l a y e r . It has c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ve ry much l i k e a drop of water bounc- i n g and dancing for a few seconds on a h o t c a s t - i r o n s tove . With h igher power i n p u t t o t h e f i r eba l l it can be made t o flow and t r ave l h i g h e r from a s u r f a c e or ground area.

What does one need t o make b a l l l i g h t n i n g ? 1. A t r ans fo rmer of 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 w d t t s capable of

provid ing approximately 1 0 , 0 0 0 amperes a t 15 v o l t s 6 0 c y c l e . 2 . Thick one inch cables of s t r a n d e d w i r e l ead ing

i n t o a 3 x 4 x 1 f o o t p l a s t i c tank . 3 . Q u a r t e r i nch t h i c k 4 " x 6" aluminum p l a t e to' b4

used as one of t h e d i s c h a r g e e l e c t r o d e s , t h e other se l ec t rode being t h e heavy ( 4 0 0 MCM) copper w i r e wi th t h e i n s u l a t i o n s t r i p p e d back 6 inches .

By s h o r t i n g t h e cable a g a i n s t t h e aluminum p l a t e under . water, q u a r t e r i n c h f i r e b a l l s o r l i g h t n i n g ba l l s w i l l appear o u t of the w a t e r and dance around on i t s s u r f a c e . O f cou r se , p r o t e c t i v e c l o t h i n g and goggles are necessary . These l i g h t n i n g ba l l s s o m e t i m e s dance r i g h t o u t of t h e tank onto t h e f l o o r , They s e e m t o be h o t t o t h e touch on ly i f you squeeze them. They are a b r i l l i a n t whi te color i n d i c a t - i n g a s l o w combustion of aluminum. I f h ighe r tempera tures are reached and d i f f e r e n t metals are used, t h e color of t h e f i r e b a l l s w i l l be d i f f e r e n t . I t appears t h a t t h e b a l l i s sp inn ing or t h e i n s i d e k e r n e l i s sp inning . With t h e s ta ted ampere and v o l t a g e r a t i o s , they have lasted for almost 2 seconds. More power i n would i n c r e a s e t h e i r l i f e t imes . Other v a r i a t i o n s are c u r r e n t l y under i n v e s t i g a t i o n . T h e h igh temperature l i m i t s of t h e s e f i r e b a l l s i s now being s t u d i e d .

110-1

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910023414 2020-06-16T05:12:51+00:00Z