Introduction: Electrostatic Doubler and STATIC Electricity Generator

this based on the wonderful device made by Thomas Kim - the living god of Electrostatics

Electrostatic generator made of hard disk platter

(if you like electrostatics you must visit - https://www.coe.ufrj.br/~acmq/electrostatic.html )

it drove me mad for a while trying to work out how it worked.

Here is my not quite as good copy

My Electrostatic Doubler

Supplies

  1. THIN PLASTIC SHEET - EG CD CASE OR PERSPEX
  2. TWO PLASTIC CUPS TO SUPPORT PLASTIC STRIP
  3. ALUMINIUM FOIL - FOR NEUTRALISER BAR, NFLUENCE DISKS, TO COVER DISKS AND MAKE CLANGER
  4. INSULATED WIRE - ANY THIN FLEXIBLE WIRE
  5. TWO DRINKS CANS - BEER WINE COKE, LEMONADE CIDER ANYTHING (FULL IS BETTER SO THEY DONT FALL OVER
  6. PLASTIC SHEET (EG CUTTING BOARD OR BLOCK OF POLYSTYRENE) TO SIT EVERYTHING ON
  7. STICKYTAPE TO HOLD WIRES ON CANS AND INFLUENCE PADS
  8. GLUE - ANY TYPE TO STICK INFLUNCE PAD AND NEUTRALISER FOIL ON PLASTIC SHEET
  9. TWO PIECES OF THIN PLASTIC PIPE OR STRAWS (SEE KIMS VIDEO) FOR HANDLES OF DISKS
  10. TWO 50MM CIRCLES OF CARBBOARD COVERED IN FOIL OR METAL DISKS FROM HARD DISK DRIVE
  11. 100MM OF COTTON THREAD TO HAND CLANGER FROM

Step 1: How It Works -?

Induction!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_induct...

http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/static...

It's basically a non rotary Belli/Kevin replenisher/Dirod electrostatic machine, the disks are charged by influence from the charge on the cans, the metal strip acting as the "neutralizer bar" . You then add that charge to the cans by touching with the disks, and each time the charge gets higher.

How does it work?

Imagine the can on the left is slightly positively charged (just handling the polystyrene will charge it which will induce a charge in the can). This makes the foil pad its connected to by the wire positively charged. Same for the other disk and pad.

When you put the disks over the foil electrodes, electrons in the disks are repelled by the negative charge in the left hand pad and flow to the other disk by the foil bridge (neutraliser) attracted by the positive charge in the pad on the right. When you lift the disks one disk is negatively charged, the other positive.

When you touch the disks to the cans , you add some of that charge to the cans.

When you next charge the disks the cans have higher charge so they "induce" a higher charge on the disks, multiplying the charge each time.

When the charge gets high enough the foil clanger gets attracted to the cans, when it touches one, it gets the same charge and is repelled and attracted to the other one (see Franklin Bells https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_bells) - ding ding ding!

Step 2: Two Metal Disks With Plastic Handles

So you need two metal disks . These were the metal disks from a hard drive but you could cover cd's with aluminium foil with a couple of bits of plastic pipe as holders. I used two little foam sticky pads to hold the hanldes on with.

Step 3: Influence Electrodes, Neutraliser and Connecting Wires

A sheet of plastic (I used an A4 sheet) with two bits of foil 3" 75mm circles underneath stuck on . The foil disks are about 3" apart (6 cm)

I had a sheet of see through perspex (acrylic) but you could use a thin plastic cutting board CD case or something.

On the opposite side of the sheet, stick a piece of foil like a bridge between foil disks say 1 cm by 5 cm

It needs to be bare metal on the top so don't cover it in tape. When you touch the disks it joins them together electrically so the electrons can flow. Use sticky pads (or glue) underneath the foil to stick it to the plastic sheet.

Step 4: Drink Cans

Put two drink cans (full are better as they don't fall over so easily) on a plastic sheet or polystyrene blocks

Tape a wire to each can to the opposite foil disk under the plastic sheet (remember they have to cross - see the diagram), where there is bare metal (no paint) Scratch off the paint if necessary, there may be clear varnish so use some sand paper to be sure of a good connection. I used tape to hold them on.

Step 5: Clanger

Hang a little ball of aluminium foil from a cotton thread from a plastic bar (a plastic tube from a pen or something) between the cans. The cans should be about 2 -3 cm apart.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_bells

Step 6: Charge...!!!!! -

watch the video and charge!!!!!!

If it doesn't work, check you have good connections with the wires (clean the can and foil)

Put the foil, plastic sheet and polystyrene on a central heating radiator or blow some hot air from a hair dryer to make sure there is no moisture leaking charge away. Clean the plastic with cheap after shave or perfume (alcohol)

hope it works, if it doesn't then let me know, we can fix it!

Happy sparking!