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Registered Member #62119
Joined: Sun Feb 04 2018, 04:59AM
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Posts: 136
If I use batteries for my Marx generator power supply, is there any value to grounding the Marx generator since it will be completely isolated from the house power?
Registered Member #72
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:29AM
Location: UK St. Albans
Posts: 1659
Grounding is a potential route to a solution. However, you haven't spelled out what you think the problem is.
Do you think it might not work, or be unsafe, or interfere with other equipment? When you tell us what you're worried about, we can tell you whether grounding might be part of the fix, and what else the fix needs.
Registered Member #62119
Joined: Sun Feb 04 2018, 04:59AM
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Posts: 136
When the Marx generator fires, I occasionally see arcing between the flyback transformer and the mozilli driver which powers it. The arcing usually seems to follow the leads that connect the mozilli driver to the flyback transformer. This was all occurring when I was using a laptop PC switching power supply. I am now going to try battery power to avoid any more potential HV spikes into my house power.
I am currently waiting for a battery to arrive so I haven't had a chance yet to try it with battery power. If the arcing still occurs, will grounding help reduce this?
Registered Member #162
Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3140
There are several issues raised above to consider, I'll give an answer to the original question but there are other more important issues going on regarding understanding of current paths. ___________________________________________
______________________________ Imagine that you have a black box containing your batteries, inverters, Marx generator etc. This box would have only two wires/terminals; Terminal1 and Terminal2. This box would periodically output a very high voltage between the terminals, each time the Marx generator fires. For the sake of discussion, the output pulse causes Terminal1 to become positive with respect to Terminal2.
Which is the 'live' or 'dangerous' terminal ? Look below for answer after thinking about it
The 'dangerous' terminal is the one that is not earthed or more accurately, at a different potential to your effectively earthed body. Even if you electrically insulate yourself from the earth it would still be dangerous as your body capacitance would have to be charged and discharged each cycle .
e.g. You could connect one hand to Terminal1 and harmlessly watch little sparks jump into the air from Terminal2, obviously if you let your other hand get too close to Terminal2 then you are in trouble. But if the sparks from Terminal2 can connect to 'earth' then the current can flow Terminal2 - electrical arc - ground - YOU - Terminal1 .... at the very least ... ouch !
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Grounding a Marx generator
