EXPLODING WIRE

“A story written in lightning”

Lightning is one of the most impressive phenomena. Fabulously high electrical currents in the air trigger an explosive thunder and a lightning bolt of many kilometers. Light artists Ivo Schoofs was the initiator of this huge project and has been involved ever since. In co-operation with the EES group of the Electrical Engineering faculty, the EPG group (Elementary Processes Gas-discharges) of the Technical faculty and the EPC of the University of Technology, a 160 meters long lightning bolt will be created.

While generating this lightning bolt, the electrical voltage of almost one million Volts (!) is needed and extremely high electric currents run through a very thin copper wire. When the lightning explodes, this copper wire can neither be seen nor heard, but the plasma induced, certainly is.

Year: 2016 – 2017
Realisation
University of Technology Eindhoven
Faculties Electrical Engineering (EE) and Technical Physics (TN)
The Equipment Prototype Centre (EPC)
Bluejay Eindhoven
Ivo Schoofs