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Welcome to my web site

I was 72 years old when this picture was taken. My life as amateur telescope
maker had come to an end, and my life as a retired person had started five years
before. The 10 “ telescope in the middel has got a permanent place in my
cottage 40 km away on the south coast. Here we can experience a spectacular
sight of myriades of stars on a clear, nightly sky in august and september. In
Skien where i live , the Milky Way is a seldom sight, due to the disturbance from
all light and pollutions from the environment. For me is astronomy still mighty
interresting, and the marvellous pictures from space , thanks to the Hubble
telescope, still keeps the curiosity and pleasure alive.

Links

1. My private life

2. My 42 years in chem. research

3. Machine tools making was my hobby

4. Counting particles from space

5. My way to 180 000 volts

6. Making a Sterling engine ?

7. Antigravity

8. Grandfathers experiment
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My private life

I lost my dear Elin in august 1998 I am 83 years old, living alone in my own
house, surrounded by a small and beatiful cat. My son Kjell Erik and his wife
Ingvil settled in Molde, a city about 600 km north of Skien. They have both
their physiotherapy education, now partly working in their trade, partly in
school and health department in Molde.
My three grandchildren Silje(27) Åsa (24) and Erlend (22 ) are still going
through their respective studies at NTNU (Norwegian Technical Nature-
scientific University) in the city Trondheim.

We keep in good contact by e-mails and phone calls, and I get visits from
them as often their jobs and studies allow. Their vacations in the summer
time is often used to visit our woderful cottage , laying only 100 meters
from the seaside with a magnific view out on the ocean. And it’s only 40
minutes car driving from my home. Take a look :
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Alow me to present my family:

This is my son Kjell Erik Tveten, b 16.febr.1956

After his physiotherapy study in Bergen, he has

completed his education with Health Science as
Major Subject.
He works as independent physioterapeut , and has
even a function as Teaching Supervisor at Molde High
Scool, Health Division.

This is my daughter–in-law Ingvil Grytli, b

25.des.1956

After her physiotherapi study in Bergen, she

works partly as
physiotherapeut, partly
as People Health
Coordinator
in Molde.

For the time she has started to complete

her education. Her final goal is a Master
Degree , at the People Health Academy in
Gøteborg.
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This is my grandchild Silje Grytli Tveten, b 19.july 1981

Silje has studiet and worked with Graphic Design, now preparing for a Master
Degree in Media, Communication and Information Technology at NTNU in
Trondheim. She has been Art Director for UKAO 7, and is active in Trondheims
Kvinnelige Studentersangforening.

This is my granschild Åsa Grytli Tveten, b 2.april

1984

Åsa goes through the Sivil Engineer Study at NTNU

in Trondheim, Energy and Environment as major
subjects. Plans to write a Master Subject concerning
Industrial Ecology. She has been avtive in ISFiT and
student revy EMIL. Just returned from a years stydy
at Instituto Superior Téchnico in Lisboa.

This is my grandchild Erlend Grytli Tveten, b

26.september 1986

Erlend goes through the Sivil Engineer Study at

NTNU in Trondheim, for the time Nano Technology.
Earlier he studied Physics ans Mathematics, and
even Music Technology. He had been very active in
The Students Radio, in their program “Unillustrated
Science.”

Now time has come to present myself, born

11.october 1925

Concerning my CV, take a look in the next link :

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42 years contribution in Norsk Hydro’s Resarch Center at Herøya

My 42 years in Norsk Hydro’s Research Center

After grammar school in Porsgrunn in 1944, I performed in 1946-47 my militar

service in Norwegian Air Force, Comminication School in Oslo. After this, I had
three semesters at Stockholms Tekniska Institut, Kemiteknisk Fackavdeling in
1948-49. I made an application for a job at the Resarch Center early in 1950,
got an employment and startet my carrier on the 1. april 1950.
The first task was a practicability study of the Kroll process for the production of
a pure quality of titanium tetrachloride, based on the use of norwegian Ilmenitt
as a raw material for production of the intermediate product, liquid titanium
tetracloride.
Few years earlier the production of magnesium metal had startet. Gradually I
was involved in this prosess on the raw-material side, namely dolomit and sea
water, where several problems needed better solutions. Step by step I moved
forwards in the process link, trying to find the best solutions in the pellet
production, where a mixture of fine powdered magnesium oxide was mixed with
fine powdwered pit coal, added a magnesium chloride solution, and forming
hardening pellet.
These were dried and chlorinated, and a molt of liquid (600 ºC ) magnesium
chloride could be tapped and lead to electrolyse baths for the produvtion of
metallic magnesium. A very tough and contaminating process, creating a lot of
environmental problems, with emissions of i.a. mercury and dioxines.
A completely new and much cleaner process was under developing at the
Research Center, where the Mg raw material was waste magnesium chloride
brine from Kali Salz. We developed a cleaning process in a pilot plant, and a
prosess for concentrating the purified brine by using a vertical tube stock
evaporator. This hot brine at ca. 200 ºC was sprayed, first by nozzles, later in a
special constructed sentrifuge. The so called prills were dried in fluid bed,and
transportet as waterfree magnesium chloride granules to the electrolysis baths.

This so called Brine Process was realized in a quite new plant. After some start
up problems the regular production was a fact i 1980, taking over 40 % of our
total metal production. The “Brine Process” had great environmental
advantages, and initial plans for building a large plant in Canada was evaluated
in 1987. The plant was estimeted for a yearly production of 60 000 tons Mg
metal, and we began a comprehensive work with estimations, calculations and
computations. The Mg-raw material this time was not a brine, but Chinese
Magnesitt rock (magnesium carbonate), which had to be dissolved in
concentrated hydrochloric acid to achieve a primary brine.

For me this involved a lot of pilot plant investigations, including not only the
chinese magnesite, but a lot of other imaginable magnesite qualities from other
places around the world.
The place for the plant became Becancour, close to the St.Lawrence river.
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Due to several unlycky circumstances, such as a duty protection from USA, and
serious budget overrun occured. Nevertheless, the plant got startet and
produced magnesium metal as anticipated.

Competition with cheap magnseium from numberless of dirty, badly

contaminating Chinese “backyard-plants” became a heavy burden for our new
and environmentally friendly plant, and it was shut down in 2007.
Magnesium production at Herøya had long since been stopped, This happened on
25.october 2001, and about 600 persons lost their jobs.
The cause ? Profitability became too low they said, and our general manager
Erling Reiten in Norsk Hydro was no longer a popular person for us.

On the 29. october 1992 my engagement in Norsk Hydro’s Research Center

ended, I was 67 years old, and my retirement was a matter of fact.

The magnesium plant in Becancour

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Machine tools making was my hobby

When the house was ready for my familys’s

entry in 1966 and we startet a new way of
living, the basement stood there, almost empty.
A tempting challenge for investments in different
kinds of machine tools could be a future goal,
but strict economy did not allow for expences of
that kind for many years. So what to do ?
The answer was of course to build those
machines by myself, and so it started. I don’t
remember what came first, I guess it was the
band saw (1974) but not quite sure.

Anyhow, new machines showed up year by

year,and possibilities for “fine wood-working” in
my little basement workshop increased . Many
kinds of furniture for home and cottage in
selected woods was performed, to a great
satisfaction for my wife, sometimes for my son and of course for my self !

Next machine was possibly the turning

lathe for metals , which got a lot more
of applacability later when a frequency
convertor was installed for precise
control of speed.

A thicknesser ( 1985) was the next step , I

suppose. This one became a quite irreplaceable
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machine to get plane surfaces out of sawn wood. And even the deep
sound from this machine is like a professional one. I love her !

Next step got the name “long saw”

.(1988)

It has rolling support, high speed

blade, and cuts almost everything,
such as coarce planks, all kinds of
plastics, thick aluminium an even
magnesium. Iron and steel is not
recommended, due to high blade
speed.

And let me not to forget the appliceable turning lathe for wood (1983) For
many years turning of bowls was an engaging hobby, and more than fifty
bowls of unlike dimensjons, design and wood type were created her, most
of them as gifts for
happenings.
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Counting particles from space

In “Scientific American”, febr. 2001 Shawn Carlson gave a description for how to
build what he called a cosmic ray telescope. By using two home-made, identical
Geiger-Müller detectors, and using what is called a coincidence coupling, it was
possible to find the direction for particles which had passed both detectors, i.e. a
kind of a telescope for ionizing particles. I got a spontaneous interest, this must
be tried !

Building two identical detectors caused problems,

evacuating and argon filling too, but the necessary
high voltage equipment (1500 v) was less
problematic. Cosmic particles from above or
radiation from small pieces of Uraninit or Thorit
was no problem. I had plenty of ionizing particles
accessible.
But no pulses from my two homr built detectors
could be registered, neither directly nor from the
coincidence circuit. A long series of homemade
tubular GM-tubes were built and tried, but no
response. So what to do now ?
A good friend loaned me a GM –tube, and I happily observed that my electronic
circuits functioned quite OK. I had to resignate, GM tubes must be purchased
from some where.
On Internet I found that Centronic Ltd. (Radiation Detectors Division) in England
had just the type i needed, and from their Mike Bates I got a kindly e-mail ,
telling me about the complicated procedyres for producing relieable GM-tubes. I
immediately ordered two GM-tubes ( ZP 1210), for a total price of Nkr. 2629,-.
( about $ 380,-)

The GM-tubes were mounted on a plawood sheet,

in a distance about 60 cm. They could be turned
around an axis parallell to the axis of the earth.
A pulse counter (Velleman building kit) was
incorporated, and arrangements for amplifying and
letting the coincident pulses from the GM-tubes
move the membrane of a small speaker, connected
to a ball pen,thus writing a curve on a rotating
drum plotter (1 rot. per day).

Now everything worked just as expected.

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A serial of systematic observations started, a timer put inn particle counting 4

min every hour, and so I let it go, day after day. After a scrutiny of all the data
I had achieved, I had to realize the following : Any spesific tendenses could
not be unfolded !

Variations on direction for incoming coincident

particles at moment time had seemingly no
effect on particle rate.
Particle presence at any time of the day had
seemingly no kind of incidental system, in my
opinion it all looked arbitrary.

Not very uplifting for me !

The explanation turned up gradually: The

cosmic proton particles colllides with our
atmosphere, creating series of secondary
particles. Among these are positive and
negativer muons, beeing detectable at ground
level.

The figure here shows what happens :

The (yellow) muons are what I detected . They

come in from unlike directions, giving no
identification of incomig cosmic particles direction.

Well, in any case I had a lot of interestingly planning, met new challenges, new
knowledge and plenty of funny handwork during this project.
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I do’nt regret anything, and muons are still my friends.

My way to 180 000 volts

My interest for high tension started when I was 12-14

yars old. I got a coil from an old lorry, looking quite
differet from coils today. It had a vibrator for pulsating
the battery voltage to the primary coil. From the
secondary coils windings came a stream of high voltage
pulses, going to the spark plugs in the motor. The
voltage could be thousands of volts, quite enough to
give very painfull knocks in fingers. This voltage could
fill old radio tubes with a mysterious blue light, very
facinating to observe in semi-darkness.
Later on the interest for radio showed up, but without
high tensions, not practicing as an radio amateur with
home built transmitter.
High tensions showed up again when I on Internet
in 1997 found a lot about building “Plasma Globes”
by using a “flyback transformer” from a scrapped TV
, those who build up the lines on the screen.

More fascinating however was what “tesal-saved

nerdes” could tell and show about their big and
sofisticated tesla generators, produsing high
frequent, with sparks in the hundred-thousand volts
class. People like Kronjaeger, Jochen and Stefan-
Kluge cuntributed with the most, and had a countless
suggestions on how to calculate, build and optimize
their tesla generators. Warnings and cautions for
fatal acccidents was often mentioned. Many people believe that due to the high
frequenc the current would only pass the skin of a human beeing, not giving any
harm. The truth is not so. The high frequence produced by home made tesla
generators will always have a low frequent component due to the use of a so
called OBIT-transformer (Oil Burning Ignition
Transformer) , giving the wanted “starting voltage “ from
the house mains net.

The term tesla comes from the hungarian-american

inventor Nicola Tesla (1857-1943). He developed the tesla
transformer, the transformation of high voltage, 3-phase
elctricity over long distances is credited Tesla and a long
series of other inventions. He was a genius of his kind,
and the all over the world use of 3-phase motors from
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small to the biggest was his greatest contribution to the electrification of our
civilization.
Litt.: : The inventions, researches and writings of Nicolai Tesla , Thomas
Commerford Martin, 1995.

Diagram for a simple tesla generator.

The OBIT transformer is the “mains xfmr”,nomally delivering 10 000 volts from
its secondary coil. Sparks will arise between a circular group of copper tubes. I
used 7 tubes with 28 mm outher diam. and 70 mm length.The spacing between
tubes are 0.6-0.8 mm. During operation sparks will fill all these gaps, creating
problematic heath. The construction with sparks distributed over 40 cm lenght of
copper tubes solves this problem.

Cap is a high voltage condenser. Different

principles for such condensers are possible, but
the simples way for home building is to fill
common bottles (redwine bottles, 700 ml are very
fine) with a sodium chloride solution, putting in a
steel rod in the solution and seal the outlet, and
gluing aluminium foil to the outer side of the
bottle.

The capacity for such a condenser will be about

0.8 nF. In my case I coupled 5 bottles in parallell,
and measured the total capacity to be 4.2 nF.
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A very covnvenient design for a primary coil is shown here :

My coil was made of 6.5 mm diam.(¼“) copper tube.

For maximum transferred effect from primary to secondary coil it is crucial that
frequency for these coils are as close as possible.

A calculation of self inductance for the coils I used will be given here :

The angle α is 30 º h= 11.5 cm (4.52”) W= mean.diam = R+½w = (7.5 + 20/2 = 17.5

cm (6.9”) n = 12 windings Calculated
self induction (L) in μH (mikrohenry).

Lv = 6.92 x 122 / ( 9x6.9 + 10x 4.52) = 6856

/ 107.3 = 63.8 μH
Lh = 6.92 x 122 / (8 x 6.9 + 11x 6.9) = 6856
/ 131.5 = 52.3 μH
L= sqr(( Lv x sin α )2 + ( Lh x cos α )2) =
sqr ( 1017.6 + 2051) = 55.4 μH

Resonnance freequency for my coil

with a 4.2 nF (4200 pF) condenser
will be :

f = 103 / 2π sqr ( 55.4 x 4200) = 1000 / 6.28 x 464.6 = 0.343 ): 330 KHz
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The vertical coil is the secondary in this system. Its self induction was calculated as
shown here :

L = h x n2 / 100 ( 10.0 + 0.43) = 7.6 x 9502 / 100 x 10.43 = 6576 μH or 6.58 mH.

The toroid at the top was later eplaced

by a closed, 12 liters aluminium pot.
The coil has an outher diameter of 7.6
cm, height 76 cm and 950 windings.
The ratio between winding height and
coil diameter is her 76/7.6 = 10.

The surface area of the coil was calculated as shown here :

Ox = (7.6 x π x 950 x 0.08 x π ) = 5695 cm2. (wire gauge 0.8 mm diam.)

In practice only half of the vindings surface is estimate as capacity-giving. The area of a
sphere with the area (5695/2=) 2847 cm2 has a radius of r= sqr ( 2847/ 4π =) 15 cm.
Converted to capacity this will be (15/0.9=) 16.7 pF

Capacity for the big pot :

Total outher surface was 3234 cm2, which is eqivvalent to a sphere with a radius :
sqr(3234/ 4π =) 16 cm. Converted to capacity this is (16/ 0.9=) 17.8 pF.

Total capacity in the sec. circuit is ( 16.6 + 17.8 =) 34.5 pF

A calculation on the resonans frequency in the sec. circuit gives:

f = 103 / 2π sqr ( 6576 x 35.4 ) = 1000 / 6.28 x 482.5 = 0.330 ): 330 KHz
So far was my calculated resonans frequency for prim. and sec. circuits
exactly the same, giving high hopes for optimal results.
Well, I albeit met some trouble. The spark lengt was only 5-6 cm, corresponding
to 50-60 000 volts. I felt there was basis for bigger potensial, and planned a
more serious investigation. With good advices and support from my good friend
Ottar, the following equipment was acquired :

• A funcion generator (Voltcraft MXG-9802A , Ebay)

• PC –scope from Velleman (PCS 64)
• An old computer (IBM Aptiva, bought in 1994)

The procedure for my measurements was as follows :

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I made two “ loops” (a single turn isolated wire) , and hang them up around the
vertical, secondary coil. The lower one was connected to the function generator,
the upper to the PC-scope, which in turn was connected to the computor.
Distance between the loops was seemingly not critical. The frequency was
gradually endered/increased, and the amplitude I registered on the screen gave
a fine view of the signal. When a resonans occured, an increased amplitud could
clearly be seen.

The resonans frequency i found here was

measured to be 328 KHz , in very good
harmony to my previous calculations. I got
sparks about 16 cm length, i.e. about
160 000 volts.
Raising the mains voltage from 230 to 250
volte gave a spark lengt of 18 cm,
corresponding to 180 000 volts.

And this is how my tesla generator looks

like today.

Not so very impressive, but I promise you,

the spark is highly dangerous to touch. It
spark has a sharp, hissing sound, and the
smoke detector is affected, making
additional noise in my basement.

Perhaps it should be funny to enlarge to

higher tensions and getting more “show”
out of it, but my basement headrom is only
210 cm. No place for such adventures for
me.

Tesla-nerds in USA use big garages and halls to try out their large vonders, and
find it very amusing taking pictures beeing in the midst of their impressive
sparks . But such pictures are of course double-exposured !
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Making a Stirling Engine

The Stirling engine is a heat engine whose heat-excange process allows for near
ideal efficency in conversion of heat into mechanical movement Robert Stirling
( 1790-1878) was the inventor.
At the end of the 20th century there were worldwide about 250 000 Sterling
engines in use. Today, with with growing ecological conscience and ever-rising
fuel costs, the undemanding and quiet Stirking engine is attracting renewed
interest.

- and the Stirling motor principle is quite simple ,isn’ it ?

I found lot of detailed descriptions about practical solutions were found on

Internet, also showing a great diversity of constructions. Juste take look below :

The most simple and funny version is perhaps the

“Coffe-cup” :

The amateur built version looks often

something like this :
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and a proffesional one could looks like this

Stirling engine and generator set with 55 kW electrical output, for

combined heat and power applications.

What a challenge for me ! This had to be tried, no doubt about it !

The simplest version was nothing for me. A more advanced one could be the best
choise, and I started my planning. I will not bother you with all details and the
problems i met on my way. There was plenty of them in my construction, but
gradually the engine got its ultimate form, and time was ready for a startup.
But sorry, I never succeded getting my engine to function,whatever I tried to
adjust and regulate. But believe me, I was very,very
close up to a success. The engine made 3-4 strokes,
so it “died”, time and again .

What was the reason for my blunder?

Probably a little too small diameters to overcome the
frictions between sealing devices in my elegant
construction. When piston-cylinder diameter increases
with a factor of 2, the steam-exposed area on pistons
will increase with a factor of 4 , and so also necessary
force to overcome friction due to sealing devices.
The contact surface between piston and cylinder will
only increase with a factor of 2, letting forces for
moving pistons up and down to increase with a factor
of 2. Totally this means a doubling of forces to
overcome the friction. Hope I’m right !
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Antigravity

I guess everybody has felt some fascination looking at a spinning, humming top,
quite unaffected rotating in its own way, seemingly having it’s own meaning of
how to behave when you try to affect it’s stubborn behavier. In a physics book
you could find an explanation for this phenomena like this :

“When trying to affect the spinning, the axis of a gyroscope will make a
movement perpendicular to the moment , trying to get it’s own spinning axis
parallell to the moment “ This cleared up everything, didn’t it ?

The gyroeffect comes into our lives in a lot of occations. When bicycling it allows
you to drop the handbars and still keep the balance, provided the speed is
suficcient. Apropos the bicycle, a wheel of this is the best to use for getting
feelings of the sinister forces in gyroeffect.
If you mount a handle at the outstanding axis on one side, takes a god grip and
put the wheel in quick rotation with your arm outstretched, curious things
happen. If you turn around your own axis, one of two things happen : Either will
your arm be drawn down, or it will be liftet up. Which way depends of the
direction you turn around.

When i obeserved this phenomena, I got an ingeious idé :

Give me two such wheels, one for each arm, and let me turn around my own
axis, both arms outstanding. Either I will feeel a lift of my body, or feel my body
beeing pressed down, dependent on the way of rotation. Standing on a short,
motor rotated bench with a steady foothold, and correct turning direction for
wheels and myself, I should feel a lifting force upon my body ! And what if I let a
rack take over my place, and put in three motors for wheels and rack rotation ?

Could such a system rise from the floor ? Yes. it had to, no question !
This impossible trick, lifting oneself up in the hair was within rich, and the
physical laws for gravity had to be justified. The feeling of this possibility gave
me a feeling of both delight and freight. What to do next ?

Shortly after i read in New Scientist 20. oct. 1990

under the section Review, with the title : Gyroscopes
remain the strangest of attractors, and a newly
published book Beyond 2001, The law of physics
revolutionized,
written by an englishman, Sandy Kidd.
immediately ordered this book, waiting impatient for
the book to come. With shivering hands i opened it
and started reading.
Kidd describes how he got his idea, building a
machine to develop gravity forces, able to lift itself
up in the air. His book had no drawings or pictures
of his invention. The only thing to observe was on
the cover of this book, shown here.
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His principle was seemingly exactly the same as I had in my thoughts, namely
two quick rotating flywheels, spinning around a common, vertical axis. Kidds
machine had a height of about 30 cm (one foot), and had a small gasoline motor.
In the first part of his book he gives a description of what happened in his garage
when he for the first time should start up his machine. He had locked the door,
wished his wife good night, and she said to him : “You’ve nothing to loose, Go
on”.

His machine was hanged upp with spanners as balancing counterweights, and
Kidd started the motor. The rotational speed could be regulated by the trottle,
and the max.speed was about 9000 rpm. He increased the speed, step by step.
What Kidd now experienced gave him a creepy feeling :
His machine suddenly startet to arise to a certain level with a wail, fully
challenging gravity. Kidd loosened spans, one by one, unil he had removed about
250 g (8 ounches) Then his machine started to lower.

Kidds efforts to getting help for explanation and further development is well
described in his book, but no person, even highly qualified in physics could give
him any satisfactory explanation of his adventure.

The interest for realizating my own idea was

further strengtened, but in quite a different way
than Kidd did. My two bicycle wheels was of
course used, beeing turned around by identical
sewing- machine motors. A third, some stronger
motor turned the whole system around. Speed of
motors could to some extent be regulated. And my
big “clue” was :

The machinery rested on three bathroom scales !

Would I get a glimpse into the mysterious

gyroscopic heaven like Kidd, or would it all go
down to the dogs ?
I’ll tell you this now :

I startet the wheels, got them spinning with moderate shaking. Lifting forces
were still lying in wait. So motor C was gently started, continiously viewing my
bathroom scales. The machinery began shaking, and the reading on scales
became more and more blurred. The vertical axis speed increased, and
gradually I felt that a formidable crasch might occur at any moment. The scales
was impossible to read off, due to the vibrations. Of cours I colud let the whole
ting go on to the bitter end, and experienced a horrible and complete crash, but
instead I resignated and stopped the show.
Later on I have done some philosophy around these events. For the first:

• Had Kidd in his garage really observed what he describes ?

• Was it only free fantasy, or somerhing he only believed happened ?
• If he told the truth, why could’nt he later reproduce his experiment
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I find no reason to doubt when he tells about qualified persons tatements, that
no one were able to disprove his observations.

Kidd wrote about it : “ the device gave a final, excrutiating howl and glided
upwards until it howered three inches above the worktop”
He writed later the following : “perhaps it had someting with harmonic resonans
in the system to do “.

Perhaps Kidd’s machine operated in a border land of physics when his machine
suddenly rised. At least two things lacks:

• A physical/matematic theori that could calculate necessary speed and

material strength that appears.
• The choise of right materials, shape /construction .

My little philosophy : Only a spinning giro can show us the right way to go,
regardless to its surroundings. . They never mistakes in their strange co-
operation with inner structure of the universe, because their forces are part of it.

Did you ask what happened to my machine ? Sorry, it was disassambled, and no
pictures were taken. Probably I felt a kind of shame. A picture of the sawing
motors on the light-metal construction was however taken .

Take a look :

With my best regards

Kjell W. Tveten