Melting Pavement

[shiben]

If you are insistant on melting things consider carbon arc equipment. Or an oxygen concentrator and a large stock of cutting lances. You could build one hell of an electrolysis system and create a LOT of Hydrogen and Oxygen and build an awesome torch.

I do not think a Carbon Arc unit would be nearly as efficient as a giant cutting lance. IIRC, OxyHydro is not a great torch system for most cutting applications, and it might not even burn as hot as Acetylene... A cutting lance is your best bet. Molten Iron, Magnesium and Aluminum in the presence of pressurized oxygen.

Edit: Max temp of an Oxy-Hydrogen flame is 2800ºC, Max temp of an Oxy-Acetylene flame is 3500ºC. I believe that you can actually get an oxidizing flame in excess of 3500ºC, but it is generally not great for welding or cutting applications.

 

[josh88]

If I understand everything now, I don't think he's really wanting to cut anything, someone just did the math after they found out about the 24,000A and realized they could theoretically have that many lights turned on and wanted to find out the temp if they ever were to really have a situation like that.

@Shiben, it also sounds like they don't have to ask what else is in the building since Duck said it's 24,000 just for show power. Meaning presumably it's all theirs and no need to worry about whatever power the building needs or is getting.

 

[bdkdesigns]

All I have to say is that I'd hate to see the electrical bill produced by this experiment if it were to really happen. Heck, I'd hate to see how a theatre can pay for that electrical bill in general if it isn't a larger conference center.

 

[tk2k]

This is all well and good, but did I miss the part where this was somehow practical, useful, or anything?

Don't get me wrong I'm laughing along with everyone else man this is the kind of stuff we did in high school all the time. Obviously in lower quantities.

 

[BGW]

Haha, this sounds like something my Dad's friend did at his frat house. Apparently the house was a few stories tall and had a courtyard in the center. So one day his friend pennies some guy on his floor into his room (locks him in his room). Then he plugged a microphone into his stereo and directed everyone else on the floor to take the mirrors off their walls and direct the sunlight at so-and-so's room.


Holy crap, that's pretty crazy electrical service.

 

[65535]

I do not think a Carbon Arc unit would be nearly as efficient as a giant cutting lance. IIRC, OxyHydro is not a great torch system for most cutting applications, and it might not even burn as hot as Acetylene... A cutting lance is your best bet. Molten Iron, Magnesium and Aluminum in the presence of pressurized oxygen.

Edit: Max temp of an Oxy-Hydrogen flame is 2800ºC, Max temp of an Oxy-Acetylene flame is 3500ºC. I believe that you can actually get an oxidizing flame in excess of 3500ºC, but it is generally not great for welding or cutting applications.

Max temperature for the arc temperature of plasma devices like carbon gouges I have seen quoted in excess of 25kC. That's 25,000C.

Thermic lances may produce more heat, but in terms of raw temperature plasma wins.

Also a thermic lance doesn't put the power available to use, carbon arc and other plasma devices do.

Another thing, once you get a material hot enough pure Oxygen reacting with the material creates enough heat to cut through that material, once started the reaction doesn't require the lance but to deliver the Oxygen to the cut.

 

[DuckJordan]

Practicality I want to bad roast a cow... This is an event center space.

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[shiben]

Max temperature for the arc temperature of plasma devices like carbon gouges I have seen quoted in excess of 25kC. That's 25,000C.

Thermic lances may produce more heat, but in terms of raw temperature plasma wins.

Also a thermic lance doesn't put the power available to use, carbon arc and other plasma devices do.

Another thing, once you get a material hot enough pure Oxygen reacting with the material creates enough heat to cut through that material, once started the reaction doesn't require the lance but to deliver the Oxygen to the cut.

Truth. Plasma would be hotter.

Practicality I want to bad roast a cow... This is an event center space.

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Win?

 

[tk2k]

Wouldn't it be substantially easier to... i don't know, put a heating element under the pavement onstage, and just bring up a lot of light on it, but actually melt it from below?

Also you realize the off-gassing is going to be terrible, and pavement doesn't melt as much as it catches on fire

 

[tjrobb]

Hmm, most switchboards are maximum 6000A per phase. Your setup intrigues me. (Switchgear may go higher, but I can't recall.)

 

[epimetheus]

Switchgear can be had at higher ratings, and exponentially higher cost. I too am curious about the specifics as it seems somebody forgot about applying a diversity factor.

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[shiben]

Wouldn't it be substantially easier to... i don't know, put a heating element under the pavement onstage, and just bring up a lot of light on it, but actually melt it from below?

Also you realize the off-gassing is going to be terrible, and pavement doesn't melt as much as it catches on fire

Concrete or something will melt into a lava of some sort...

 

[tk2k]

Yes but I'm from the east coast so 'pavement' just translated as asphalt to me which will stink and burn.