Hochspannungsfunken

Hochspannungsfunken is a term used in German to describe the phenomenon of electrical discharges that occur at high voltages. It typically refers to the bright spark or flash of light that appears when a high-voltage electrical discharge occurs between two electrodes, such as a spark gap.

The high-voltage spark discharge is a type of electrical breakdown that occurs when a high-voltage electric field exceeds the dielectric strength of the surrounding air or another medium. This break down can occur due to various reasons like insulation failure, lightning strike or electromagnetic pulse. The resulting spark discharge can be thousands of degrees hotter than the surrounding air, appearing as a bright, glowing spark.

In technical applications, high-voltage spark discharges are often used intentionally for purposes such as electrical power generation, lightning arresters, and in various medical applications. These sparks work by ionizing the surrounding air, thereby creating a conductive path for current to flow. This is utilized in technologies like electrical static discharge and plasma cutting.

High-voltage sparks, as evident in a spark gap or in a lightning discharge, share the need for a safe separation of electrodes due to its high temperatures and often destructive nature. The efficient direction of these sparks enables communication and data transfer through radio transmission.