×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

(OP)
I am looking to make a home-made crude linear particle accelerator.  I have already begun the work of assembling the electromagnets and the vacuum system, but Im finding that a power source is quite difficult to come by.  I need to convert normal 120 VAC wall current, into 10,000 VDC to power the electromagnets.  I was wondering what would be the cheapest way to accomplish this.

RE: AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

How much power are you referring to and for how long? If we are speaking of small amounts for a short pulse, rectify the AC to 12VDC and use the coil off of a automotive spark plug system. I believe the voltage is 30-90kV depending on the contact opening duration, but I don't know the power output capabilities. Search the Automotive Engineering forum of this site for more info, or pose your question there.

Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

RE: AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

Isn't 10,000 VDC for electromagnets extremely high?

RE: AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

Oddly, I was thinking the exact opposite, but not for the electromagnets, but the ionization supply.

I'm only familiar with ion implanters, but, there are some similarities, I think:

> A gas is ionized with a 25kV extraction supply
> The ionized gas is run through a mass spectrometer to extract the desired species
> The electrostatic accelerator (up to 200kV) accelerates the ions into the target.

If 10kV is the highest voltage, it doesn't seem like you have enough kick to get much more than tickling CRT phosphors.

TTFN

RE: AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

Hi Beindaz:

10 KV for electromagnets?  Electromagnets usually have low voltage and lots of current.  Wire wound around a core to make an electromagnet needs isolation between each winding and connecting a coil with a few ohms of resistance to a 10KV supply would make a good fuse blowing machine.

Anyway, just in case I misunderstand what you're doing:
A Cockcroft-Walton circuit (Check the internet) is a good way to multiply DC voltages.  It uses capacitor and diodes and you can keep adding steps to go higher and higher.

I'd be interested to hear more on your project.

Thanks

linacman

RE: AC to DC conversion for electromagnet

Suggestion to the original posting: A heavy preoccupation with a home-made crude linear particle accelerator probably leaves the TV idle. If with CRT, there may be somewhere around 18kV available. An extra fuse is recommended not to harm the TV. If the electromagnets are intended to be superconducting, a good cryogenic system will be needed.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources