Sometimes you just need 4000 volts!

Radical Brad

Radical Brad

Garage Hacker!
Staff member
Part of my day today included cobbling together a crude fan cooled 4000 volt center tapped power supply.
Rather than spending $3000, I went to Wallmart and purchased 2 new ovens for $75.00 a piece.

There is a high probability that I might have voided the warranty!

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Fresh out of the box and already the cover of off!

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Look at all this fun dangerous stuff to play with!

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Here it is, 4000 volts of air cooled goodness.

Need I say... "don't try this at home, or the lab, or anywhere for that matter"!

Brad
 
That seems feasible.

Running in reverse, the 16:1 step down should offer about 12 volts / 50 amps from 120 AC.
I would imagine that tripping a breaker would be an issue since these beasts are not current limited.

When I tested this power supply, I dropped a piece of celery across the output terminals and watched it light up like an alien life-form, start to smoke, and then burst into an amazing arc of chaos. At that point, I tripped the breaker!

Yeah... it was more fun than just connecting my expensive HV probe to verify I had 2000 volts coming out!

Brad
 
Radical Brad said:
That seems feasible.

Running in reverse, the 16:1 step down should offer about 12 volts / 50 amps from 120 AC.
I would imagine that tripping a breaker would be an issue since these beasts are not current limited.

When I tested this power supply, I dropped a piece of celery across the output terminals and watched it light up like an alien life-form, start to smoke, and then burst into an amazing arc of chaos. At that point, I tripped the breaker!

Yeah... it was more fun than just connecting my expensive HV probe to verify I had 2000 volts coming out!

Brad
Click to expand...

Didn't I see you in a movie, awhile back. You know, the one with all the lightning, and hair raising.
 
I am doing an R&D project for a client that requires an adjustable center tapped 2000v AC source.
Can't say too much about the project, but so far testing has shown promise!

Brad

stormbird said:
I don't recall you saying ' why ' you wanted 4000v ?
Click to expand...
 
Ah - sussed it. I know why you need 4000 volts. It's to make that Norwegian Blue go voom.

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No parrots were injured in the making of this post.
 
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Oh yeah, it sure was!!
Now you might think I am joking about using a 400 pound "pole pig" in connected in reverse to generate 100 Kilovolts from a 480 volt industrial AC supply, but that's what I did back in 2002 on another project!...

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Yes, that's the thing inside the large can you see on a hydro pole. I drained the oil and removed the transformer.
About to plug the beast in....

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The crazy prototype did actually work that day.

Now if only I could get a line up to one of those huge high tension towers to power my next project.
Brad

Twinkle said:
Flux capacitor. lol .
Wouldn't like to use a mains transformer

That could be a tad dangerous
Click to expand...
 
That would be so super for the world and the hope, it would for you as well.
Ok, press on, back to inventing!
Good Luck Brad.
 
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