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Registered Member #192
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 03:08AM
Location: Canada
Posts: 44
Tonic,
When I increased the zeners to 15 volts, it made a difference. I haven't tried anything higher. Obviously it's limited by the max voltage allowable on the gates.
A 100 watt transformer is definatly not big enough! I'm drawing 13 amps maximum at maximum arc length with 36 volts input. That's alot of power I'm using 36 volts for more power and because my flyback seems to take it, although I had to jumper some of the secondary pins (It had two secondaries) to prevent flash over.
With the high output current that the ZVS mazzilli circuit produces, You'll only get hot orange firery arcs, not blue/purple.
I'm using high voltage high, current IGBTs now and they get really hot (on heatsinks) within 1/2 minute of running a jaccobs ladder.
Registered Member #528
Joined: Fri Feb 16 2007, 10:32PM
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Posts: 166
[quote] When I increased the zeners to 15 volts, it made a difference. [/quote]
Difference in what? Arc's length, thickness?
wrote ...
A 100 watt transformer is definatly not big enough! I'm drawing 13 amps maximum at maximum arc length with 36 volts input. That's alot of power I'm using 36 volts for more power and because my flyback seems to take it, although I had to jumper some of the secondary pins (It had two secondaries) to prevent flash over.
Well, that's not that. At max load ZVS driver draws 28V/11A. That's far more than 100W. 100W doesn't mean the transformer's output won't overlimit this power, it just won't stand for long time. When I play with ZVS and switch off, transformer is usually moderately warm and is alive
wrote ...
With the high output current that the ZVS mazzilli circuit produces, You'll only get hot orange firery arcs, not blue/purple.
Yeah, that's why I want to tune it in order to get lower output current and higher outpu voltage.
wrote ...
I'm using high voltage high, current IGBTs now and they get really hot (on heatsinks) within 1/2 minute of running a jaccobs ladder.
My guess.. bigger heating is caused by bigger resistance?
Registered Member #192
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 03:08AM
Location: Canada
Posts: 44
Difference in what? Arc's length, thickness?
Increase in both thickness and length
Well, that's not that. At max load ZVS driver draws 28V/11A. That's far more than 100W. 100W doesn't mean the transformer's output won't overlimit this power, it just won't stand for long time. When I play with ZVS and switch off, transformer is usually moderately warm and is alive
I remember that I had a hard time measuring current. I ended up using a current shunt and a DVM some distance away from the circuit before the emf from the ZVS circuit would stop interfering with the DVM. I tried current clamps too.... no good. You might not be measuring the actual current and I can't see how a 100 watt transformer could but out that much power. Use more batteries or a big transformer.
Try more capacitance on your resonant cap. Its easy and makes a big improvement in arc length.
Registered Member #152
Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384
Tonic wrote ...
Later, I bought a TV cascade which multipled voltage a lot and I started to feel fear. Instead of 1cm spark, I've achieved 8cm length one.
hi Tonic do you use a limiting resistor on the output of the cascade? I tried a cascade with a limiting resistor, but it "sprays" heavily and lots of corona, and this decreases output. I'm afraid to run it without the limiting resistor, because I think it can be damaged from current surges.
Registered Member #549
Joined: Sun Feb 25 2007, 02:49AM
Location:
Posts: 11
I am mounting the ZVS to driver and I am with some you doubt on the functioning of it. For example, which is the maximum frequency that reaches. How many Watts is necessary so that of a hot arc?
Registered Member #528
Joined: Fri Feb 16 2007, 10:32PM
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Posts: 166
[quote] I remember that I had a hard time measuring current. I ended up using a current shunt and a DVM some distance away from the circuit before the emf from the ZVS circuit would stop interfering with the DVM. I tried current clamps too.... no good. You might not be measuring the actual current and I can't see how a 100 watt transformer could but out that much power. Use more batteries or a big transformer. [/quote]
Hm.. EMF could interfered multimeter measuring, since it was near flyback.
Is it really impossible to get that much power? I don't have any batteries laying around. Probably the best option will be searching a cheap, used transformer from internet auction, I'll look around.
wrote ...
Try more capacitance on your resonant cap. Its easy and makes a big improvement in arc length.
I've added something aroung 2.5uF and gained 3.5uF in total, but it didn't make different, or different was too small to notice. Or something is limiting.
By the way, I've changed primary wire to fatter one, ~1.5mm, but a heating problem still occurs. Do you have any idea how to solve it?
jmartis wrote ...
hi Tonic do you use a limiting resistor on the output of the cascade? I tried a cascade with a limiting resistor, but it "sprays" heavily and lots of corona, and this decreases output. I'm afraid to run it without the limiting resistor, because I think it can be damaged from current surges.
Are you saying about this type of cascade?
From
If yes, then no, I didn't use limiting resistor. I hadn't any reasons for this. You didn't want to damage cascade because of overcurrent? And you did use resitor on output, not input? Well, I don't get it ;)
It reminds how I plugged an cascade to flyback drivered by ZVS. Yeah, a bit stupid idea.. but, before cascade died by large current, it did shot a incredible, marvelous spark long at least 15cm and it was orange colour and quite fat. It really frightened me! What a pity I don't have pic of it ;( But I have an idea to connect TV cascades in parallel. Would it work?
Ambar wrote ...
I am mounting the ZVS to driver and I am with some you doubt on the functioning of it. For example, which is the maximum frequency that reaches. How many Watts is necessary so that of a hot arc?
If you are asking about frequencies at which ZVS driver works, I don't know, I'd rather shot that's something between 30-50 kHz.
To have that hot arc, it depends. Just make ZVS driver properly and get a power supply unit that can give at least 10A. Current is a main factory which decides how fat arc will be.
BTW, I'm re-asking - can anyone help with doubler? I have a 100W transformer with 1x24V AC output and I want to double it. What capacitors, diodes and scheme I can use?
Registered Member #152
Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384
Tonic wrote ...
Are you saying about this type of cascade?
From
If yes, then no, I didn't use limiting resistor. I hadn't any reasons for this. You didn't want to damage cascade because of overcurrent? And you did use resitor on output, not input? Well, I don't get it ;)
Yes, exactly this type. Somewhere on the site the picutre comes from, is also mentioned that the cascade should be never discharged directly to ground, but through a high-voltage resistor. The reason for this I think is that the spark to ground stresses the capacitors inside the cascade by a rapid discharge, which they'll never see in a TV, and can fail. The resistor then slows down the discharge. I will try it without the resistor, the cascade was free anyway so it doesn't matter if I destroy it
Registered Member #56
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445
You need a resistor on the output of the cascade tp protect the internal diodes. Basically, if you do not have a resistor in series with the output the internal capacitors are discharged directly through the diodes into the load (which in the case of a TV has a very high impedeance, but for a spark it is very low), which can create very high peak currents; and diode diodes.
Registered Member #528
Joined: Fri Feb 16 2007, 10:32PM
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Posts: 166
Hey, acutally I'm trying to build half bridge for flyback and, probably, tesla coil, but it would be later. There are schemes I've drawn in according to different site pages and schemes (there were russian, czech, polish and american :P)
IR2153 driver
Power supply from main
And half bridge
There's small error in driver, the supply polarity is reversed.
Now, what do you think? I've choosen IR2153 because of simplity and effects that are shown on bottom of this page :
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New fresh meat's toys and questions
I'm using 36 volts for more power and because my flyback seems to take it, although I had to jumper some of the secondary pins (It had two secondaries) to prevent flash over. 
