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need circuit plans for high voltage arc?
wanna show kids how voltage can work thru wood and how it makes patterns in certain kinds of powdered matter. i have done soldering in my past and have messed with Tesla's coils.even got hit by a microwave once and will never forget that lesson.i am older n smarter now and respect electricity.
2 Answers
- Robert JLv 74 months ago
A Van de Graaf or Wimshurst generator will produce high voltages and long sparks, but not burn anything.
A old can-style car ignition coil [from a vehicle engine with a distributor] plus a driver circuit using eg. a 555 timer oscillator and a power transistor, can produce continuous arcs such as needed for a "Jacobs Ladder" and I'd think it will also burn wood quite well.
Unlike the Van de Graaf, it's also rather dangerous & very possibly lethal if touched while operating.
Search google for "555 car ignition coil driver" and you will get hundreds of examples.
(Edit - a lot of those examples seem to use normal 1N4000 or 5400 series diodes - in a high frequency circuit such as this, they should really be "fast recovery" types for reliability and maximum output).
- PhilomelLv 74 months ago
High voltage ARC? You want a Van De Graff generator. It will produce 50Kv and give you a beautiful arc. Plans are online.
