mercury (wetted) slip rings

[Tmoose]

Has anyone used mercury slip rings. 12 v 1 amp signal. 1800 rpm / 10 inch diameter

Aside from potential leakage are there any issuew?

Any good or bad suppliers.

Thanks,

Dan T

 

[abcd3286]

I guess this proves the adage "you learn something every day"

Never have seen mercury slip rings. Most interesting - can you teach me some stuff about them please?

Just for idle curiosity can you use brushless excitation?

 

[abcd3286]

after responding got curious
I was thinking alternator or synch motor slip rings.
Learned even more - these look kind of handy

try this outfit

Mercotac, Inc.
Address: 6195 Corte del Cedro, #100, Carlsbad, California 92011
Telephone: (760) 431 7723
Fax: (760) 431 0905
Email Sales: info@mercotac.com
Email Support: techsupport@mercotac.com
Web Site:

http://www.mercotac.com

Dan Bentler

 

[ScottyUK]

I met them on a hermetic package lid welder for military power hybrids. The machine uses two rotating electrodes to pass welding current through the component to be welded.

Picture at

http://www.ssecusa.com/ssec2004/pages/hpsp.html

High current pulses of ~1000A or so, voltage would only have been 10V or so. We had a never-ending maintenance battle with this machine. The 'mercury' wasn't actually mercury as I recall, but some other liquid metal alloy without the toxicity problems. The alloy degraded into something with the consistency of lumpy custard and didn't perform it's function of keeping the current off the bearings. I think the housing was nickel plated to prevent the liquid metal reacting or forming an amalgam with the housing. The housing itself was probably brass or bronze. You may wish to check the compatability of the metals you're using.

I think you may find turbulence problems with a 10" disc spinning at 1800rpm. Do you need such a large contact area for such small voltage and current?



----------------------------------

One day my ship will come in.
But with my luck, I'll be at the airport!

 

[Tmoose]

The big shaft diameter is driven by other aspects of the machine. The slip ring size is inherited from the large diameter shaft.