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Registered Member #3114
Joined: Sat Aug 14 2010, 08:33AM
Location:
Posts: 608
man hands down i think the best way is with this its super fast, reliable and if you add a lot of capacitance for the ZVS ( use 4uf) its really efficient. plus the regulator side is nice to stops charging when it reaches a desired voltage and indicates when its done
Registered Member #195
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 08:27PM
Location: Berkeley, ca.
Posts: 1111
its easy just find a 240 vac source like a transformer and rectify it. use a variac to control the voltage into the transformer. add a series resistor in series with your bank and rectifier bridge and by a cheap DMM to monitor
Registered Member #3943
Joined: Sun Jun 12 2011, 05:24PM
Location: The Shire, UK
Posts: 552
ZakWolf wrote ...
man hands down i think the best way is with this its super fast, reliable and if you add a lot of capacitance for the ZVS ( use 4uf) its really efficient. plus the regulator side is nice to stops charging when it reaches a desired voltage and indicates when its done
I agree with Zak. Having built this circuit myself to charge a similar but slightly smaller bank I can definitely recommend it.
If you have trouble with the charging/charged LED's both staying lit then these mods fixed that for me.
Alternatively you could use rectified mains with an incandescent light bulb in series with the (preferably) live wire. In 230vac countries this will give you 340vdc, and 170vdc for 120v countries.
If you decide to use rectified mains without an isolation transformer then you would need to be extra careful of any exposed conductors on the gun since they would essentially be live.
Registered Member #190
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 12:00AM
Location:
Posts: 1567
Sulaiman wrote ...
First; read the rules that you were supposed to when you joined Then use the search function above e.g. capacitor charger
What I think Sulaiman was implying is that if you need to ask how to charge to a piece of equipment that can kill you, you better make sure you know what you are doing. These charges are unforgiving with one mistake.
Registered Member #3324
Joined: Sun Oct 17 2010, 06:57PM
Location:
Posts: 1276
IamSmooth wrote ...
Sulaiman wrote ...
First; read the rules that you were supposed to when you joined Then use the search function above e.g. capacitor charger
What I think Sulaiman was implying is that if you need to ask how to charge to a piece of equipment that can kill you, you better make sure you know what you are doing. These charges are unforgiving with one mistake.
I very much agree with this. If you can't work out how to do it, you really shouldn't play with this kind of thing. (I would be happy if you told me your precautions)
Registered Member #190
Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 12:00AM
Location:
Posts: 1567
I always have discharge resistors across my high voltage caps. I keep a voltmeter around so I can check if they are charged.
If I'm designing a high-voltage circuit I sometimes have a resistor-LED combo so I know if it is charged if I don't have a voltmeter across it. I certainly never touch the terminals. A discharge stick is not a bad idea to ensure the cap is discharged.
I have an old-style video game and it has a large CRT and capacitor. I made a high-voltage discharge stick that I put across it before working on it. I haven't had to work on it in over a decade now, but I remember the giant spark that cracked when I did make contact.
I have not dealt with large cap banks, but if I did I would have them in an enclosure in case they failed and exploded.
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Charging a capcitor bank
