Regarding about the construction, Its very easy to make a machine that will run for the first time (I myself is a first timer, this is the first VDG machine I have built). Unlike ordinary VDG's it has no brushes, no need for strict selection of materials like neophrene belts, nylon pulleys. Compared to other VDG's its far simpler to construct, no HV supply needed. It can even be made more powerful than a VDG. It will even work in humid conditions (it worked here in Manila, Philippines)
Construction hints: Use sphere for the HV terminal not a dome. It just happened that I can't find a suitable sphere, nor I have the time to improvise one. The upper and lower pulley should be barreled before covering the can with al foil. You can barrel the can by wrapping it with many layers of electrical tape, barreling means making its shape like a barrel. the al foil should be electrically connected to the can. The barrel shape is necessary to keep the belt centered on the can. The supporting column is made from styrofoam, you can use a PVC pipe of a suitable diameter instead. The belt is simply a plastic belt, cut from a large plastic bag (don't use a garbage bag for this, it might not work and besides it stinks if used!). Cut aluminum sectors from aluminum foil, round its edges to minimize current losses. Use a thin double adhesive tape to attach the al sectors to the belt. The sectors should be inside the belt and should be within the edges of the belt. For the inductor, I have used a paper sprayed with silver paint and placed very near the belt and the lower can but not touching. The inductor should be of a certain size and at the right place, its bottom should be a bit lower than the can, its top should be much higher than the can. The lower pulley assembly is connected to the ground or a person, the upper pulley assembly is connected to the dome or sphere. If you are using a sphere (for the best) the upper pulley assembly should be entirely within the sphere or at the center (neutral) of the sphere for the best. If you have questions or troubles debugging the device feel free to ask me at marktecson@yahoo.com just make sure you include the name "pelletron" on the subject heading.
