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Registered Member #1822
Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
Location:
Posts: 300
What is the best way to drive a flyback? Most of the circuits I have seen use one or two 2N3055 transistors. What is the difference between these circuits? Wouldnt it be more practical to use an NE555 to drive a power transistor to drive the flyback? Is there a way to use two flybacks so that you get +15KV and -15KV to produce a 30KV arc?
Registered Member #543
Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992
There is probably no 'best way' - only 'different ways' to achieve similar results.
2N3055 is not really a good or efficient way of driving a flyback, unless you have nothing else. 555 can source only 200mA, while 3055 will want 5A base current to run at full hog.
If you have a choice, go for a MOSFET, or two MOSFETs in push-pull.
You will find many many answers to your questions by searching 4HV.
Registered Member #2161
Joined: Fri Jun 05 2009, 03:36PM
Location:
Posts: 247
In my opinion it would have to be the ZVS driver.
It is easy to set-up, low in parts ($) and can handle more power than the flybacks ever will.
You might get better performance/efficiency with a half-bridge drive with the bonus of not needing a power-supply or transformer, but I don't believe it to be worth the extra time/money/parts especially since the flybacks will not be able to take the power for any appreciable amount of time.
Registered Member #152
Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 03:36PM
Location: Czech Rep.
Posts: 3384
If you want the most output power from a given transformer (ie. lowest transformer losses), use a bridge converter. If you want to get the most output voltage from a diode-split transformer, use a flyback coverter.
Registered Member #834
Joined: Tue Jun 12 2007, 10:57PM
Location: Brazil
Posts: 644
The normal use of a flyback transformer is in... flyback configuration. In normal applications they are driven from quite high voltage (>100 V), and frequencies around 15 kHz, maybe more, using a single high-voltage transistor (1500 V, 10 A). These drivers that can be found everywhere in the Internet try to use lower input voltage by winding another primary coil with less inductance. This surely works, at the expense of a higher-current power supply. A safe driver shall include some control on the current trough the driver, because when generating arcs a flyback driver may enter continuous mode, with the current increasing excessively and destroying the driver. A good driver does not waste energy heating the driver transistor to insane temperatures, so if you see recommendations of large heat sinks, you are seeing a flawed design.
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Best way to drive a flyback?
