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Re: [TCML] Ion generator + VDG eats my power supply



Have you considered using three 1.5 volt AA, C, or D batteries? A lithium 3.6 volt battery usually has about 4.2 volts when fully charged. I would put the batteries in a protective box in case they blow up. ;-)

Allen B



-----Original Message-----
From: msweeney23 <msweeney23@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sun, Oct 4, 2015 1:23 pm
Subject: Re: [TCML] Ion generator + VDG eats my power supply


The main NPN transistor on the voltage control board tested like a regular .6
volt rdiode from base to collector and emitter. I think thats enough to claim it
is still functional but i would welcome any other suggestions.

The nasty
lingering burnt plastic smell comes directly from the quad op amp so im assuming
its totally destroyed. Now to find a replacement here in minnesota. We seem to
have a lack of old school electronics shops now such a shame.
:(

Matt


Sent from my HTC

----- Reply message -----
From:
"msweeney23@xxxxxxxxx" <msweeney23@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List"
<tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [TCML] Ion generator + VDG eats my power
supply
Date: Sun, Oct 4, 2015 1:56 PM

It appears the HA17324a quad op amp
fried. The Vn(+)2 input pin actually melted right off the IC. I assume that
would be an overcurrent situation, possibly caused by some other component
failing.

I dont see any other obvious damage except for the op amp, but ill
test what i can to be sure.

I have education in radio and video electronic
engineering but this topic was never discussed. And that was twenty years ago :)
(we were still fixing CRTs).




----- Reply message -----
From: "Jim Lux"
<jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [TCML] Ion generator +
VDG eats my power supply
Date: Sun, Oct 4, 2015 1:29 PM

On 10/3/15 9:20 PM,
msweeney23@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> I purchased a few cheapo 12VDC/15KV negative ion
generators and set one up with my VDG.
>
> I was using an expensive 30 amp lab
grade power supply set to 4VDC. I grounded the case of the power supply and used
the +/- of the ion generator to produce corona from the lower brush.
>
> It
worked amazing ive never seen that power output before, very thick loud sparks
10 inches for a few seconds then smoke from the power supply :(
>
> Can ayone
explain why this might have occured? I just wasted a $200 variable supply and
not entirely sure how to go about fixing it (it still outputs 12VDC but no
longer variable).
>

That nice snappy spark is a very fast rise time high
current pulse, and 
will induce remarkably high voltages in a victim loop. It's
all about 
di/dt, and the area of the loop.

More than one person on this
list has killed their power supply driving 
a voltage multiplier or Marx
system.  The typical scenario has a 20kV or 
so multiplier running off a
switcher feeding a Marx with half a dozen or 
more stages.  The 12V power is a
couple of clip leads or similar laying 
on the bench feeding the switcher, and
separated by a few inches.
The Marx goes "bang", the power supply
fails.

Another scenario is that there's a "ground bounce" when the system

fires, and that pushes the power supply output way out of the common 
mode
range for some component.

Your power supply may not tolerate several hundred
volt spikes coming 
back from the load very well.  If it has current and
voltage limiting, 
there's some sort of error amplifiers across a measuring
resistor. Those 
amplifiers often have a "not very many volts" common mode
limit 
(particularly in the negative direction). An unexpected 100V transient

fries the current error amplifier which is usually measuring the voltage

drop across a small resistor in series with the output.




> I wish i
had a video to share, but it all happened to fast. I think its something to do
with grounding the case.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Matt
>
>
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