High Voltage Power Supply For Marx Generator

Some of you are asking me to post an instructable about how to make an high voltage power supply to power the Marx Generator on this instructable.
Well, here is the instructable you have been waiting for!

The device we are going to use to make a power supply for the Marx Generator is called Cockroft-Walton Voltage Multiplier, now that is a lot of words, so what most other people call it is what we are going to call it, the Voltage Multiplier.

This one is a different design from the one I used for my Marx Generator, I was going to post the other design, however, it was quite difficult to build, so I came up with this new design.

The new design has more advantaged over the old design, I will explain them:

• Easy to build
• More efficient

However, the new design has one disadvantage, it requires mains electricity, but that is not very much a problem, we can just add fuse (and safety resistors if you want). At least it is easier to build!

Disclaimer: This project is very dangerous to operate, it generates high voltages (6000 volts). Please do not attempt to build this voltage multiplier unless you are familiar with high voltage. I am NOT responsible what ever happens to you and others with this voltage multiplier.

Step 1: Get the things!!

Depending where you live, get the things that will be suitable to your mains power..

If your country uses 110v or 120v, get the things as listed:

• 34 1N4007 diodes
• 34 100nF film 200v (or greater) capacitors
• 100mA fuse

If your country uses 220v or 240v, get the things as listed:

• 18 1N4007 diodes
• 18 100nF film 400v (or greater) capacitors
• 100mA fuse

The X2 capacitors will also work well, that is what I used for this voltage multiplier.

(UPDATE)
I got the diodes and the fuse from Farnell. I got the capacitors from Maplin, however, the capacitors are no longer stocked at Maplin, But you can still get it from Farnell. Here is a list of things you will need to get if you are going to buy the components from Farnell.
1N4007 diodes
100nF film 400v capacitor
100nF film 200v capacitor
100mA fuse

Comments

[willstr1]

is it possible to create a semi variable version if I had a way to change which stage it connects to?
like if i connected at the beginning and between 20 and 21 would that lower the voltage but keep the other stages so that I could switch to a higher voltage if i need it (of course shutting down and unplugging and waiting (so that all charge is gone in the capacitors) before doing the transfer) or would that mess up the components that aren't in use?

[willstr1]

Also is it possible to add more stages and get a higher voltage? I need 10+kv for a ion lifter.

[my wookie]

yes to the second one but as for the first one it would only discharge as you switched it it would still work though if you don't mind waiting for it to charge again

[zmilosavljevic]

Why do we have to use a 100mA fuse exactly? Could we use one with another value, like for example 500mA? What would be a the difference?

[my wookie]

i didn't use a fuse when i made mine, and my little brother decided to short the input voltage... he got a big yellow spark and decided it looked cool. i kept hearing a bang in there so i went to check it out and i got there right as he blew the breaker. then my dad made me take it apart.

[plasasesamo22]

Hey! If i have a little stun gun that make 100v from 2 batteries and i want more voltage.
You think it will work if i put one voltage multiplier like this?

[my wookie]

: ( old post, better late than never, if its AC then yes but i doubt it. its most likely DC if it came from 2 batteries.

[mshbi]

After I made mine and measured the voltage it measured the same as the input. Anyone know what is wrong?

[正安]

I use a variac transformer which can output 0~260VAC(5A) and then connect a Cockroft Walton Voltage Multipliers which use camera capacitor 104/1KV and 1N4007 as diode.
I made it series connection about 10 stages,theoretically it can output 10X(input voltage),but I didn't get that much. Here is my situation:
10VAC→100VDC
20VAC→180VDC
30VAC→240VDC
40VAC→300VDC
50VAC→360VDC
60VAC→400VDC
70VAC→450VDC
80VAC→500VDC
90VAC→520VDC
100VAC→560VDC
Is there anything wrong?Why can't i get that 10 times voltage?

[kanni1303]

I tried this one but it is not working.
I used
2G104J capacitor and
IN4007 diode
with 200mA fuse
and power supply from mains, I live in INDIA
and my supply is ~230V

[Quyzi]

Does it matter if hot and neutral are swapped? I can't find a polarized plug :(

[amaziliauskas]

hi,how much is one stage ?plz tell me(sorry for my language)

[Higgs Boson]

Every stage adds another input onto the output (if each stage consists of two capacitors and two diodes). If there were only one stage then the output would be double the input. Every stage you add after that adds another input voltage onto the output.

[AChillyDog]

Could i use 6000 volts to make it put out huge voltages?

[Higgs Boson]

You would need caps rated for much higher voltages if you did that.

[amaziliauskas]

hi,how much is one stage?

[Dreistein]

hey i'd like to make a device i can attach to say my foot ,that if i touch someone they would get a shock basically like when you walk with socks over a carpet but the effect is automated. A guy made an ible http://www.instructables.com/id/The-mini-electrostatic-generator/ where he makes what im describing but its not very detailed. any ideas?

[Dreistein]

hey i'd like to make a device i can attach to say my foot ,that if i touch someone they would get a shock basically like when you walk with socks over a carpet but the effect is automated. A guy made an ible http://www.instructables.com/id/The-mini-electrostatic-generator/ where he makes what im describing but its not very detailed. any ideas?

[emihackr97]

Hi, I want to build your marx generator, but on the video from that 'ible, you power it all from a single AA battery, is it possible to get the schematic for the inverter circuit, an also, you say it outputs 450v, so how may stages of Caps-Diodes will I need?

Thanks,
emihackr97

[Kalace]

Does this plug into the wall for power, and if so does this trip the circuit breaker often?

[Kalace]

I live in US so i get 120volts

[reed00112]

So say i wanted a reeeally low output current for ultimate safety and i used a 2M Ohm resistor in series with the output. What kinda current would we be looking at? and what voltage drop should i expect ?
Help will be greatly appreciated!

[Speedmite]

I was just wondering, If I built this multiplier, could it feed into a larger multiplier such as this one?
http://www.instructables.com/id/High-Voltage-Multiplier/
Or would everything need higher ratings?

[Robdei]

would some 1 picofarad ceramic 500v capacitors be able to substitute for the film capacitors?

[AGT563]

I am working on something like this, but much smaller and independent of mains power, I will be posting it soon. on another note you mentioned that have asperger syndrome, I have asperger syndrome as well, and I am also a bit odd.

[robot797]

i need around 50KV adjustable fron 30KV to 70KV
can it be done with this?

[sholtob]

do you connect the live wire from the mains voltage to the hot pin and the neutral to the earth?

[zapurva]

Wouldn't 18 stages for a 240V input supply require 36 capacitors and diodes? As per my calculations 1 stage requires 2 capacitors and 2 diodes..

[manicmonday]

Does anyone here know how to use one of these to make a Negitive Ion Generator? I'm in the USA using 120vac.

Thanks

[FurtherThanTesla]

Im pretty sure that you just switch the ac input wires on the voltage multiplier. That way, the 6kv output will be negative relative to ground. Look it up on google images, because i know I saw a schematic for a negative ionizer that pretty much just had the leads switched from what this guy has

[yaly]

there is an instructable on that.

[DELETED_Robert L]

(removed by author or community request)

[Nico N.]

Hi Robert, I think that in the instructable for the marx generator, Plasmana made his own custom made one that runs off of 1.5v (AA battery). THIS instructable is an alternative that YOU can build that uses 110. This is what I think. I really don't know

[Umniscient]

Two questions:

1. Am I correct in saying that each capacitor should be rated for twice the *input* voltage? That is, can I add more stages without changing the ratings?

2. My country uses 110 volts. Should my capacitors be rated for 200VAC or 200VDC?

Thanks!

[pyroten]

Hmm. I'm in a bit of a hard position. I live in Australia and i can't order things online. All i can really use is this hobby store (Jaycar) so i need to substitute everything because i can't find exact matches for the resistors and caps.
Soooo.... Could the:

• 400v 100nf caps be substituted for two 250v 100nf caps connected in series?
• 50k 2W Resistor be substituted for two 27k 1W resistors in series?

So what I'm kind of getting at is what can i change around to what effect.

Thanks in advance ^:)

[TANN-MANN]

No probs in Australia, Order online at http://au.element14.com, its all we aussies could need, Jaycar is good, but you will need to order most things...Yeah I know this was posted a few years ago but hey just helping

[lasermaster3531]

for the resistor that will work, but you need to have the caps 200nf each in series to get 100nf together.

[volthead]

Try a hobby store which also stocks altronics parts I am about to pick up 10 2.2nF 3kv caps and 30 1n4804 diodes. It depends where you are I am in Bendigo so I have PCB electronics.

[duckythescientist]

two 250v 100nf caps in series would give you a 500v 50nf cap. You want two 250v 200nf caps. When caps are put in parallel, the capacitances are added and the maximum voltage becomes the smallest of the maximum voltages of the caps in parallel. When caps are added in series, the voltages are summed (at least when all the voltages are the same) and the resulting capacitance is the harmonic mean of the capacitances. This is the reciprocal of the sum of all the reciprocals of each individual capacitance. Meaning Ctotal=1/( 1/Ca + 1/Cb + 1/Cc ...)

I hope this helps. If I am incorrect, Instructables community, please correct me.

[dumle29]

does it matter where you connect the neutral and where you connect the phase?