Make an Ultra Simple High Voltage Generator

Have you ever wanted to build a high voltage devices to make sparks like Tesla Coils, Marx Generator, and so on.. But find it too compacted or difficult to build?

Well, this instructable is for you! It can make create a few kilovolts of static-like sparks, and best of all... You can make it with only two things to make it, a battery and a simple mains transformer!

Before you continue, you should know a little bit of information about transformers, click here to find out.

Step 1: Get the things!!

Like I said, you need only two things to make it, well, actually, three things - some wires.

• 9 volt battery.
• Mains transformer
• Wires

The mains transformer, you can find those in just about any mains powered electronic devices, like VCR's, stereos, and stuff like that, you can also use a wall wart if you want. The best mains transformers you could ever use is found in digital alarm clocks.

Unfortunately, I burnt up all of my alarm clock transformers while ago... :( So I will have use a transformer from a VCR.

Comments

[Jaguar93]

(removed by author or community request)

[john12692]

transformers work with any type of electricity AC or DC its the flow of electricity that makes them work not the alternating current of AC though they work better with AC try it if you are any kind of tinker (which is what this website is for) you'll have a transformer lying around and can hook one up like this in 5 minutes plus if you are only momentarily connecting the battery to the the transformer it IS in actually AC if only momentarily

[mikemmcmeans]

are you completely sure about the DC part. when you seee transformers in DC circuitry it's usually used along with transistors that turn the DC power on and off, simulating an AC wave pulsing the primary coil, magnetizing the metal core, then a pulse exits the trans on the secondary (or back out the primary (DCtoDC boost)) from my experimentation, if you connect DC voltage to a transformer it wont do anything at all, except blow some fuses/breakers. all that with no output at all on the other side, till you turn the DC input off. but if you're turning DC voltage on and off its not DC anymore.

[OVERLOADED]

you made sum correct comments but,,,, i dont think your correct in implying that if you switched DC on and off it simulates AC, if anything it simulates pulsed DC and yes if you turn DC on and off its still DC only pulsed,, also this leads me to believe that transformers are dependent on pulsed current in order to work and not necessarily on the change of current direction such as AC, so AC works not because its changing direction but because its having a pulsating effect above the zero line on a graph just like the output of a rectified AC. Al tough I read many times that it is the change of direction that induces a flux to the secondary,,hmmm but then why does a pulsed DC work? it has no change of current direction since it never goes below the zero line and stays in the same direction. something to think about i guess.

[OVERLOADED]

I am not an electronic technologist actually I'm a mechanical design technologist and welder but yep actually what I read was that you need AC in order to work a transformer properly but this is not because of the changing current, but I believe it is because AC is behaving like a pulsed wave and it is these ripples that generate the inductance in the coils and run the whole thing, so if you plan to use DC it will still work provided you make the signal a pulsed one via transistor or other devices, it seems even some mechanical devices such as 5 volt relays work too but I am guessing the output will appear pulsed rather than high repetition rates that are observed with solid state devices like transistors which make the sparks look continuous due to the high frequency. Or I could be wrong about the AC thing, anyone welcome to comment.

[CharMio]

It actualy is because of the changing current, infact without changing current the tranfromer will not work at all.

[jbrown79]

wiki said,' Hypothetically an ideal transformer would work with direct-current excitation, with the core flux increasing linearly with time.[39] In practice, the flux would rise to the point where magnetic saturation of the core occurs, causing a huge increase in the magnetizing current and overheating the transformer. All practical transformers must therefore operate with alternating (or pulsed) current.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer

but i could have put that on wiki.

[Tobor 2.0]

wiki said, yeah, it also said phosphine (well not phosphine it was a different molecule) had the biggest "butt" of any molecule...

[PINKmonster325]

Well, yes, but it will still work if you make the voltage go on and off. (I don't know why, but it does in fact work)

[john12692]

ever hear of a joule theif? that uses a dc transformer

[mikemmcmeans]

true, but the transistor pulses the voltage up and down, simulating an artificial AC wave, referencing 0V the ground of the system. sorry still AC power.

[john12692]

your right sorry i forgot about the transistor

[Magnelectrostatic]

 AC = Alternating Current, it alternates between positive and "negative" current, your thinking of switched DC which is either on or off.

[Plasmana]

Please be more specific what you are trying to say, you are speaking rubbish.

[redcars101]

I found a transformer in one of my computer speakers, so am I suposed to connect the 9v battery to the output side and on the input side well be the high voltage?

[egbertfitzwilly]

Yup, works like a charm.

[redcars101]

did you respond to me?

[egbertfitzwilly]

Yes, I was confirming that if you connect a low voltage on the output side you will get a high voltage on the input side. Since nothing is free there is a corresponding loss of current. There is also loss in the device. Both of these will vary signficantly depending on what the original intended use is. Your speaker transformer is probably an audio transformer. You might get better performance if you break open one of those cheap plug in power supplies.

[milsorgen]

"There is also loss in the device." My understanding is they operate beyond 90% efficiency on 60hz input, just food for thought. Definitely interesting devices to say the least!

[redcars101]

I now have a digital alarm clock transformer. Is it good?

[egbertfitzwilly]

Yeah that should work. What you really want to do is experiment. In this case your local library will be an invaluable resource. While they won't have much on digital all that old analog stuff is still valid. By going back and looking at the old AARL handbook and various electronics books you can find a whole host of useful circuits and technologies.

[milsorgen]

Lol, one more chime in here... Don't forget about your local used book stores. I have picked up tons of information on everything to little known meter tricks, to ICs, RF, DC power supply, Laser experiments. Don't think I've ever paid more than 7 bucks for a title either. One caveat though... it all tends to be from 70-80s but I find in some instances you get some more basic information than you would in some modern books.

[resistanceisfutileiflessthan1ohm]

uh oh big problem! how do you get the transformer to work with a dc current from a battery, they need an ac current to work.

[Higgs Boson]

You will still get arcs from the battery, but only when the power comes on and off.

Transformers as you might know, only respond when the electrical field going through it is changing. Transformers work with AC because the field is constantly changing. Now that's not to say using a DC supply the field is never changing. When you connect the power, the field does change, and the transformer responds, in this case with a brief pulse of high voltage across the secondary. You will not get a constant HV supply like you would with an AC input, but by simply turning the power on you will get the transformer to respond, albeit very briefly.

[DanTheManTheMan]

So how many volts actually come out of this thing???

[anandcreativ]

i thnik its gonna be awesome...

[bubot17]

Whats the mA output? im planing to put this in my Thor Hammer >:D

[tesla man]

Im pretty sure that because you are increasing voltage, amperage decreases, so if a 9v battery cannot kill you, this could not. BUT if you decreased the out put voltage, then possibly

[tesla man]

Very interesting idea...

[tesla man]

When you say "static like sparks,"do you mean that it has very low amperage?

[hore]

Hey can i use electronic ballast or choke. is choke is the same with transformers.

[sheepborg]

uh i found this huge transformer thing while working at a camp that little kids take apart electronics. is there any way i can use this and if so how do i hook it up

[tylervitale]

That looks like an audio amp transformer. (gotta love them)
However, it may not be best to look for the biggest transformer you can find for this project. Typically, bigger transformers have higher voltage secondary coils.
What this essentially means is you'll get a lower voltage. If you put 9v into a 120v/9v transformer, you should get 120 volts out. If the voltage is higher, like say, a 120v/50v transformer, then putting 9 volts in will only yield a fraction of the 120 volts you SHOULD be getting. Conversely, if you put 50 volts into a 120v/9v transformer, you're going to get a LOT more than 120 volts out! (provided it doesn't fry.)

[bcantley2010]

what is on that blue sticker?
what did the x-former come out of?

If i had to make a guess from your pictures...
I would partially feel safe amusing that where your thumb is placed would be the primary windings and the secondary windings are on the right. Yes there are more than 4 connection points but try to use the pins that are farthest apart and ignore the pins in the middle on the secondary. I would assume the same for the primary side but it looks like i see the 2 closest pins by your thumb could be the connection points for the primary.

there is no harm in trying.

with more information I could make a better judgment!

[sheepborg]

The blue sticker is actual just masking tape that one of the kids stuck on it
i beleive that it came out of the main box of a surround sound system, or something similar

granted this is from over a year ago, but i do still have that and it is still the best doorstop ever.

ill see about digging up parts and hopefully i will get something to happen.

thanks for the reply

[bcantley2010]

If it is for kids maybe you can rip it apart and save all the coil wire. The kids could make project motors.

[sheepborg]

sadly the structure of that camp is rather.. lacking. they focus less on what can be acheived with parts and more on how you can put them together for simple machines or lookalikes.

so thats how i ended out digging the part out at the end of the camp from the though-out pile... along with a bunch of other fun stuff they either didnt take apart of just tossed

[Jimmy Proton]

i dont think you could use it, it probably can only run on mains but thats a cool transformer, what is the camp called?

[wrdplay]

Camp Sweatshop?

[sheepborg]

camp invention actually
and yeah, i did figure it wasnt useful
oh well, it weighs a ton and looks good on a part shelf