Old Reviews My "Lava" trilogy (and more...)

[Egzoset]

Salutations everyone,

Although i consider it simply reflected supportive attention when my status got promoted (to

"You mad scientist you!" on AFN recently), despite being personally pleased by this gesture i feel an urge to warn the reader that my present dedicated thread actually implies no desire to follow scientifically-rigorous methodology, on the contrary: lets aim for wide inclusivity!

Yet, in a way i guess that's even earned as an etiquette so it's fine with me in the end: the new rank does display with some real attractive "panache" after all, euh... Thank you AFN, i'm so flattered i might blush!



Nonetheless, i believe none of the terms "mad" nor "scientist" accurately reflects my sustained approach as it was intended, much less when taken separately. Honestly, my humble goal is to captivate imagination in hope others will eventually want to check for themselves what's this all about! E.G.: it's not supposed to sound "hermetic", my appologies if it does!!

...



But i do appreciate good Cinema/TV drama based on mad scientists myself! And i confess this is one below is a favourite monster icon of mine:

(Le bossu de Notre-Dame...)
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Briefly put my plan is to invite further experimentation performed by other persons - and that means YOU, the reader. M'well, the scientifically-inclined readers should be welcome too!



So, it's OKay to refer to science for guidelines once in a while, but there's no way i could have foreseen/visualized/finalized my Lava concept using bare paper and no computer simulations... In fact i required a couple years just to acquire the operator skills necessary to sort the matter, while repeating once in a while that one of my preliminary criterias has to do with avoiding the risks of seeking a more formal atmosphere.

Now here's my challenge to the reader again: after selecting a ready-made product from the market (which seemed to be based on suitable/accessible materials) i've found most stimulating to adapt it so it becomes some sort of a "prototyping platform" for vaporists and beyond: e.g. a virtual "window" possibly giving a resourcing vue on "Bi-Energy" concepts made compatible with electro-magnetic Induction Heat, etc. Taking advantage of a thermostatic interaction between the separate IH driver and a pair of specially-formulated Curie-effect (NiFe-based metal) alloys in each core (of the battery-free/electronics-free LavaWand) to perform what i tagged as "packetized" injection of "Heat Charges" (the socio-acceptable way)... Which leads me to the "Micro-Bursting" consumption method for improved control over dosage... (My own creative tokens again), etc.

M'well, after all this time i started to think i may have reached my limits. "Plan-A" still seems out of question but i'm satisfied that i got my "Plan-B" fine-tuned enough to suggest a new duo of complementary Spheres:

Sampler/Trainer

10 mm Flame-Catcher
15 mm Monobloc (previous casting batch)
~3.37 mm SiC Front Puck
0.93 mm 17-Holes Metal Disc (Drop-In/Perfect Mating, 12.56 mm dia.)
2.5+ mm Top-of-Bowl SiC Puck


Extractor/Medicator

10 mm Flame-Catcher
15 mm Monobloc
~3.37 mm SiC Front Puck
0.86 mm 17-Holes Metal Disc (Loose Fit)
2.5 mm Top-of-Bowl SiC Puck

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In retrospective i should also mention the Sphere (wood) should be cut to 25 mm tall/deep.

A Monobloc + Flame-Catcher assembly with its top-edge safely recessed this leaves just about the right distance to install a Sphere to one of my 2 VG metal handles while blocking direct access to the potentially burning-hot Screw-Base once in place. The PVC Tube Extension would never fit in any better now that i'm trying to decide what extension length matches what Hybrid Core configuration best, euh...

Ritual has progressively conformed to a more defined profile, the "pepper" and "punch-in-the-face" effects have been displaced to the extreme upper range of applications with near-combustion flirting. For that my "DeLuxe" Extractor/Medicator proved most useful trying to extend the overall range in 3 or even 4 stages, swapping Spheres, Butane Lighters and Extension Tubes around...

At this point in time i would insist to keep the DuckLips MouthPiece nearby (with its associated Reversible Aux. PinHole Spacer) considering it appeared to belong in a soft "Sweet-Spot" range of strong aroma-taste appreciation with improved "conservation". Alternately, the "DeLuxe" counter-part may seem poorly adapted for training (as it requires operator skills acquired via its companion) but it can still come handy, especially in the evening i'd say (that's related to visual feedback i guess); anyway that particular Sphere is on the reactive/intense side instead. Use it to finish a bowl after "basic" started to feel "thin"... Using my Bronze Sherlock customized handle i proceed in steps and there can be as many as 3 ~ 4 phases depending on preferences vs skills at that moment of the day.

My advice:

Tip [HASHTAG]#1[/HASHTAG]: Stirr every couple tokes for better results, a Lava "DeLuxe" (with "shaker" option) in IH mode would do it auto-magically every single time anyway!...

Tip [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG]: Always keep butane lighter fuel tanks full for more throttle consistency.
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A full session usually totalizes 2 ~ 3 tokes with satisfying aroma/taste, 2 ~ 3 more that provide nice exhales, then another 2 perhaps to optimize the benefit of a cannabic bowl that gets efficiently spent to a point i no longer collect depleted material for reclaims...

A slightly larger Auxiliary (MP) PinHole will promote improved aroma/taste, probably because of the enriched stream, but too large a PinHole will affect inhalation force negatively. Not to mention that i observed useful audible feedback when the lengths match magically: it even gives some "decompression" hints at times, IMO a consequence of a thick cloud causing temporary resistance to airflow, then succion turns easier once the cannabic "Burst" stretches on its way.

Prefered butane lighters correspond to blue flames with moderate to high throttle range - though still not kitchen size.

When switching to my "Extractor/Medicator" Sphere i also install the long tube with large (aerial) diameter MP, equiped with an Auxiliary PinHole. More length seems compensated by a lesser path restriction while i still prefer to switch Butane Lighters as well during that last phase. Additionally, in comparison the "Basic" Sphere feels more appropriate during sunny sessions in my veranda, my guess is that's related to visual feedback... I may sound like i repeat myself but i can't stress sufficiently how enjoyable it actually is to gain the extra appreciation margin under warm comforting sunrays!



With these recent updates dealt with lets finally have a fair look at how i imagine the LavaWand concept today. That was when i wished the Main PinHole could be relocated on a Sphere's surface (near its equator, facing an obturator with its support rod passing thru the Bronze Sherlock Neck); it was meant to remain compatible with ground-level affordable "half-capsule" versions of "Plan-B" (using only 1 Sphere):

( Alt. Img Source: http://oi65.tinypic.com/2eflv1k.jpg )
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The central collector channel was totally sealed in between the 2 Screw-Base Rings, 2 more anular collector channels would hide behind those barrier-rings on each side, with bridging conduits linking each Main PinHole Aperture to the associated collector channels tightly enclosed away from direct view, under metal and wood...

Then i finally saw how the Auto-Moisturizing (distilled water boiler/evaporator) cotton/substrate could fit in and not block an opportunity to support some means to adjust "HEAT" as well, conveniently:

( Alt. Img Source: http://oi63.tinypic.com/2yubtqr.jpg )
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Or perhaps it's the whole Near-Symetrical Capsule which should slide to do the PinHole airflow tweaking, etc...

Take note of the multi-purpose structure again: finally my Boiler/Evaporator item would assume a double function by supporting assymetrically-controlled PinHole mixing ratio to implement the "HEAT" adjustment feature (in bilateral IH mode)... Etc., etc. Though it's not exactly as if airflow was controlled at the Flame-Catcher level, but i'd certainly find interesting to evaluate it. Etc...

Good day, have fun!!

 

[Egzoset]

Euh...

It's been a while since the days when i was still working on my Hybrid Core, so these days it's about time i begin to investigate IH-drivers, for example like this:

 

[Egzoset]

Salutations,

My quest for the next best semiconductor candidate has solved the delicate challenge of Gate Driving via 1 single highly-integrated Class-D power chip, for audio applications actually - but in the case of Ti's TPA3255, for example, the input frequency range covers up to 48 KHz (HiFi "Digital Audio"), if i'm not mistaking... Not to mention there's direct D.C. access to a pair of internal analog comparators, possibly paving the way to some simple PWM-framing in more developped experiments, etc. No doubt it won't take a decade to see Gallium Nitride versions of that chip, which by the way already happens to be rated 300 + 300 Watts if hard-wired in "MONO" mode! So, even if IH power conversion efficiency were particularily pitoyable at ~10 % it would still represent a respectable 60 Watts once transfered to the cannabis delivery tool. So, power is no longer a priority topic as it's clear there will be more than 1 candidate chip to pick when the time comes.

This leaves us the other major cause of energy waste to solve:

That's illustrating magnetic force lines including "leaks", those of the selenoïd air-core IH WorkCoil model (left) compared to what gets done in stepper motors (rights); schematized below as a partial 3-Phase 9-Poles flux-concentration setup:

When considering the creation of an IH Driver with suitable electronics to meet such criteria an early matter that comes to mind is how many power devices it's about to require, so lets try the Power Stage alone:

Using alternative configurations i found the minimum parts count could be lowered down to 6 MOSFETs and their WorkCoil's corresponding RC "Snubbers", etc...



But 3-Phase IH Energy Injection sounds somewhat over-ambitious in the present context, hence i decided to reduce my expectations and explore 2-Phase 4-Pole systems instead - which was the step when i came to consider this fine legacy of ancient Greece, rediscovered in the 17th century by an Italian who's name stuck to it ever since:

Anyone dealing with motorized vehicles may have seen it in their own nearby environment as the cardan gear cleverly resolves an interesting mechanical problem, now transposed to what i perceive as a purpose-optimized IH WorkCoil Assembly required to meet a vast range of applications, starting with the "scanning" of Curie alloys vs inductive heating by magnetic hysteresis losses... Ideally juxtaposing that both simultaneously and/or concurently to the higher-frequency band meant to exploit surface "Eddy Currents" (as they're supposed to simplify this whole task - but it remains to be seen IMO)...

Nonetheless the Class-D chips won't only save on electronics but also material weight too! Which reminds me i yet have to complete 2 separate "magnetic circuits" from 2 pairs of twin-coils shifted by 90 degrees relative to each other:

Now here's the "cardan" layout at work and that's a big step, because it's about dealing with leaks as those of an air-core selenoïd:

Basically we're speaking of a slotted toroïd compressed relatively to the cardan's main rotation axis... So, in presence of 2 they simply need to interpenetrate in a way (transparency view here...) to only share a central opening: its "IH aperture".



1st we split each magnetic circuit as 2 halves centered on an IH Aperture measuring 5/8" (dia.), or ~16 mm, then an identical duo with its internal face is tilted by 90 degrees then inter-locked as some clamshell complementary half, with the 2 external faces constituting those crucial magnetic return paths which were missing previously. Then there's one more feature(s) i yet got to draw and that's relative to Power "RF Choking":

One puzzling idea which boosts my enthousiasm is the prospect of exploring a novel type of supperposed magnetic circuits with a common susceptor Workload but kept separate and mostly independant hopefully, which would render possible a compact Dual-Frequency solution inviting further Universality, for example:

This represents a set of four 3½ turns coils made of AVG#20, if i'm remembering correctly. If AWG#12 is used instead that's going to result in ~2 mm (wire) turns alternating with 2 mm spacing, so if the flux-concentration core is 3 mm thick then i figure it will amount to a total assembly thickness of 10 mm, as a preliminary evaluation of course...



Lucky me i discovered those Class-D chips while thinking of ways to manage with the most sensitive issue of Gate Driving (...): ST Micro TPA3116 and TDA7498, Texas Instruments TPA3255. Truth is, design based on discrete pieces can get overwhelming when less convenient...

So my next illustration shows the TDA7498 of which the footprint is nearly as square (and of equivalent surface) as the TPA3116 i believe:

Considering the output capacity of those chips i came to find that 2 will do indeed:

In principle that's 300 + 300 Watts (stereo) PER CHIP (...), or 1.2 Kilo-Watts!!

2.4 KW in the full-blown version...

Then that's raising some concerns it might happen to be "too close for comfort", which prompts me to continue weighting various aspects of such concept even further.

In any case my hope with this sort of visual brainstorming is to provide the audience with a fair idea of what's to expect in the year 2020, in terms of Universal IH Drivers. Which reminds me i should have better developped on dual-frequency scenarios and Dual-Purpose Flux-Concentrating Materials also simultaneously behaving as part of an RF Choke by sharing paths which later cancel mutually, etc. Euh... But i must conclude already as it's been long enough for me anyway.



Good day, have fun!!

 

[Egzoset]

UPDATE:



Last month i developped my Universal (Cardan-topology) IH WorkCoils Assembly ideas after exploring various potential aspects of its associated electronics. This time the 1st item got to be about Mazzilli modules and more precisely the author associated to their conceptual origins, although i could as well have prefered to mention it in some other IH-related thread, possibly dedicated to the DV VC actually:

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[ https:// www.facebook.com/vladi.mazzilli ]​

FaceBook - Vladi Mazzilli​

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[ https:// www.pupman.com/current/vladi/vladmap.htm ]​

Mazzilli Vladimiro's Tesla Coil images​

...

Which gives me some hope it may be possible to contact mister Mazzilli and ask him DIRECTLY how to build a simple "daughter-board" inteface, for example, more exactly for the purpose of turning such modules (actually sold as "SVZ" Induction Heat drivers, previously for use with Flyback Transformers and Tesla Coils...) into "slave" PWM-based power stages. All it really takes is a simple/affordable GPiO interface, possibly suitable for further/advanced exploration thanks to the dual PWM signals directly accessible on a miniature controller system as shown below:

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[ https:// www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=289934 ]​

The Raspberry Pi 400 thread​

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[ https:// mariodivece.com/blog/2018/03/21/rpi-pwm-demystified ]​

Raspberry Pi’s PWM Demystified (2018-Mar-21)​

A ton of hobbyist fun costing little more than 1 month worth of pizza or so!



The implications could be immense, especially if 2 PWM power stages are inserted inside a closed-loop system and these drive an IH WorkCoil Assembly structured much like this, with a twist:

{ Single-Phase 2-Poles workload vs Split-Coils "RF Choking", still an hypothetical magnetic juxtaposition so far. }​

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{ 2-Phase 4-Poles, hypothetical as well. }​

In either case i theorized that i may be a viable option to implement "RF Choking" as required by the power stage(s) using the very same flux-concentration material which also serves to support the IH WorkCoil(s), while the whole set can be expected to fit into a compact volume measuring around 6 x 6 x 1.2 to 1.5 cm using elements inspired by top-notch flat magnetics.

But then a question shall quickly arise if one contemplates the prospect of actually building it and it's about polarities: e.g. wich one goes where??

My ultimate answer might conclude as follows:

{ Polarities issue vs BiFilar RF Choking }​

Go bifilar!

Hence a general schematic for IH-operated DV VC owners should translate as simplified right below:

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In principle and in this particular configuration it still seems like a desirable option to control a pair of Mazzilli modules modified with daughterboards, except instead of piling up the magnetic poles within a same layer these can get stacked vertically, so to spread the IH field more evenly along slightly elongated cylinders as the VapCap. M'well, IMHO anyway!

Now imagine the fun after making all this openly programmable...

Good day, have fun!!