Hi Max and Seden. Thanks for the tip on the patent.
This post is more for Clondike Clad to show him how to build the thing.
WHAT IS IT?
This is a fascinating concept for locating buried metal objects. While there is nothing cutting-edge used in this method or the components, the beauty lies in the simplicty of concept. The inventor claims that a Telsa coil can locate buried land mines better than other methods used today because of the visible spark pattern it makes on the perimeter of buried metal objects. This makes it easy to identify what the object is before digging it. The outline of metal components in land mines and other UXO can be seen from the spark pattern. These patterns can be checked against images of metal parts known to exist in different land mines and UXO. Seems like an elegant way to locate buried metal objects.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The basic concept is to mount a very high voltage/low current source on a vehicle and send the voltage to a probe to scan above the ground in front of the vehicle. If there is sufficient voltage and charge present on this metal probe, it will tend to send sparks to the corners of conductive objects in the proximity. Apparently the inventor expects to see the outline of any buried metal objects reproduced in the sparks shooting down from this 50,000 volt electrode.
How CAN YOU BUILD IT?
I suppose you need a Tesla coil, a generator to feed power to it, and a vehicle to move the apparatus across the ground were you are searching. I would think you would also want this apparatus designed to keep the operator safe from any possible explosions that may happen in the event he found something explosive beneath the spark patterns.
The patent shows the apparatus mounted on the back of a truck and a long insulated boom delivering the charge forward of the vehicle. The coil is delivering 50,000 volts or more with less than 1 amp (I assume 1 amp rarely happens if at all, as the power supply is only 3000 watts). The inventor also shows a TV camera positioned to view the sparks emitting from the probe, and he describes the possibility of wearing dark filter goggles to help see the sparks during daylight hours.
CAN IT BE SCALED DOWN?
Now, if a hobbyist wanted to build a scaled down version for simple treasure hunting, it could be scaled down to a small gas powered generator and a home-built Tesla coil mounted on a small cart like a golf cart or dolly, or even hand-held if proper precautions were taken. A metal pipe electrode could be used to form a probe out in front where you get a good view of any sparks shooting into the ground. A more substantial version could be mounted on a Quad off-road vehicle, or in a pickup truck. The idea is to look for spark patterns that outline the shape of a treasure chest, or a mason jar, or maybe a coin if the pattern is tight enough.
WHAT PARTS TO USE?
A 3500 watt gasoline generator should have more than enough power, but 2500 watts should also work for slightly less spark power. I imagine even a small hand-held version could use a modified automotive alternator and 2-stroke engine to deliver power if you don't need very big sparks for your hunting. The probe can be nearly any conductor strong enough to suspend in a transverse direction in front of where you want to search. The Tesla coil must be able to shoot out an abundance of visible sparks maybe a meter or more. This means it should consume about 1000 to 4000 watts of power supplied, depending on how much sparking you want to see on your probe.
There are many plans for building Tesla coils on the internet. To build one successfully requires tuning the primary and secondary circuits to resonance, as well as winding the coils to the correct sizes, installing suitable capacitors, and a spark gap or other method to create the primary oscillator. Fortunately, there are many websites that show all the details of construction.
Here is a web page where for $9 you can download plans to build a 3000 watt Tesla coil that makes 60 inch sparks, suitable for a probe as detailed in the patent: http://www.amazing1.com/tesla.htm
Here is a web page where a Tesla coil builder shows photos of a coil he built from the plan set above. http://www.thegleam.com/ke5fx/tesla.html
Here is another Tesla coil builder's page: http://hot-streamer.com/greg/frames.htm
Here are links to help build a Tesla coil: http://amasci.com/tesla/high_voltage3.html
May the sparks fly