[AMPS] Power Handling of Resistors

[Wt8r@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/8/00 8:38:02 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
w8ji@contesting.com writes:

> Hi Dave,
>  
>  If you can take time out of insulting Jon for a moment, I have a 
>  question. 
>  
>  > What I am saying here is, that if the capacitor bank in a 5KW, 4000 VDC
>  > power supply, with 16 or 32 uF of capacitance discharges through an arc
>  > (however it is initiated) into a bandswitch or other component, the
>  > discharge will take place  so quickly that it will be totally unexpected
>  > (unanticipated) with a resultant bang and explosion with accompanying
>  > light that all that will be left are crispy critters .  Obviously this is
>  > the result of currents and voltages of such magnitude and such  short
>  > duration as to vaporize metal.  
>  
>  Please explain how the energy moves freely from the filter 
>  capacitors to the bandswitch, or to any other point in the circuit, 
>  without a component failure that occurs BEFORE the big bang.
>  
>  Can you do that, or is this just blind faith? If it is blind faith, I can 
>  accept that as an answer.
>  
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Tom,

If you will read again my original post which you quoted above, please notice 
that I did NOT say anything about a specific mechanism initiating the 
destruction and emphatically said (however it is initiated).  Please don't 
bait and switch the discussion.

Using the SCIENTIFIC METHOD  I learned in CollegePhysics, I OBSERVED the 
metal fragments and powder residue of the bandswitch which resulted from the 
BIG, LOUD, LIGHT EMITTING BANG. 

After doing so, I concluded that the source of the energy which caused the 
vaporization was EITHER my 5KW power supply OR a bolt of lightning from outer 
space.  

After employing the Scientific Method once again, I observed that my roof was 
still intact, so I reasoned that the energy OBVIOUSLY MUST have come from MY 
power supply (or maybe a photon event).

Where would you say the energy came  from Tom?

Cheers,

Dave,WT8R

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