High Voltage Ignition Coil Supply

In this Instructable I will teach you how to build a High voltage power supply using an Ignition Coil.This project uses a 555 timer based circuit.We use a 555 IC because an ignition coil needs a squire wave signal to power it. so basically the 555 timer is making pulsed DC electricity which powers the ignition coil.

Step 1: Danger High Voltage!!!

This project shows how to make a High voltage power supply which produces about 30 or more MA, which is enough to Kill you! so Don't try this if you are not experienced with high voltage!

Step 2: Getting an Ignition Coil

The first thing you need to do is to get an ignition coil,I got mine from a friend who's dad works on cars,but you can buy a new one for like $30, Or you can get one from the junkyard for about $5.The reason we use an ignition coil is because ignition coils are what power the spark plugs with high voltage. so instead of hooking it to a spark plug you can use it as a high voltage supply.


here is a pic of the two ignition coils I got.

Step 3: The Driver Circuit Scematic

This is the driver circuit that powers the ignition coil .
part list:

two 10k ohm potentiometers
two 1k ohm resistors
one 555 timer IC
one 8-dip IC socket
one 100 ohm resistor
one .1uf 12v capacitor
one 2n3055 power transistor and heatsink
12v 6amp DC power supply

Step 4: Gather All Your Componments...

There are a few components that are missing from this image because I ordered them and they are not here yet.

Step 5: Solder All Your Components

now you need to solder all your components using the schematic.

Step 6: Hook It Up to the Ignition Coil

now you need to hook up the the power supply to your circuit,and then the out put of the circuit to the ignition coil

Step 7: Finished!

now your finished! now just turn on the supply and adjust the frequency using the potentiometer until you get a good arc! you can use this to: power a Tesla coil, power a Jacobs ladder, and much much more!

Comments

[pejipejman]

why dont you use a trap for the frequncy by measuring the frequncy ?
you can put it right behind the transistor and the negative line.it should isolate the negative line with the spark.
i draw it in the schematick below.

[rdstarkrishna]

Thank You in advance , i built one circuit which provide frequency puls of 100-400hz but ignition coil is producing only 1.4kv maximum when i viewed through CRO please help me. WIth same pulse with EHT i am able to produce 10kv y in ignition coil its droping.

[short stack]

is it possible for me to use a car battery and instead of the 1uf 12v cap using a 1uf 16v

[LiamOSM]

there's nothing wrong with using a capacitor with a HIGHER voltage rating... However, using a lower rating can be tricky. In this case, I would say yes, 12v is fine. And the Instructable asks for a 12v, 6a power supply, so a car battery is more than enough. It will work fine.

[codeym]

I made something similar, but I use 110 volts. I use a dimmer switch in series with a 175 volt 11 microfarad motor capacitor and connect that to an ignition coil. I get thick arcs about 4 inches long. It sounds like a taser on steroids.

[MandeepC]

i required +/-15 v to drive IGBT. I have made one circuit in which i required +15 volt when input is high(+5v) and -15 volt when input is low(0). this input is not continuous it is only the pulse input.i have made circuit as per below, but it doesn't provide +/-15 volts. so help me

[MandeepC]

i required +/-15 v to drive IGBT. I have made one circuit in which i required +15 volt when input is high(+5v) and -15 volt when input is low(0). this input is not continuous it is only the pulse input.i have made circuit as per below, but it doesn't provide +/-15 volts. so help me

[MandeepC]

i required +/-15 v to drive IGBT. I have made one circuit in which i required +15 volt when input is high(+5v) and -15 volt when input is low(0). this input is not continuous it is only the pulse input.i have made circuit as per below, but it doesn't provide +/-15 volts. so help me

[AndyGadget]

i've got plans to build one of these eventually. Glad to see you're getting good sparks from yours. The reason 555s are dying in the back EMF from the coil. When the transistor turns off there's a WHOMPING great spike shoved up the power rails. This takes out the 555. Put a power diode across the coil with the cathode (pointy end, with the band) to the 12V rail. Also a 1000 microfarad 25V or so capacitor across the rails would help smooth out the load on the power supply and could give you better sparks.

[ranman260]

Is this what you mean about the diode? i keep smoking the timer. thanks!

[ARJOON]

i used an irfp250 instead for the 2n3055. i got far much bigger spark and also when i used 32v of input to the mosfet the ignition coil was sparking to the concrete. the was super crazy. like a tesla coil. haahahahaha

[ranman260]

When you used the irfp250 did you connect it the same has the 2n3055 like this? or did you change anything? thanks!

[ARJOON]

yes like this but substitute the 100R resistor to 150R else the gate will be too saturated

[jesteract]

I agree on your choice for using IRFP250n as not only a mosfet has a better rise/fall time in other words is more capable for fast switching, but it also incorporates a flyback diode for protecting the drive transistor from back EMF blowing all the circuit to nothing. A steering diode at the supply input would also be a wise idea to protect the circuit and improve commutation.

[bswt]

can i use a IRF510 Transistor

[ARJOON]

it think it should work

[yamaha_dodge]

becuase it basically is a mini low voltage tesla coil If you think about how it wroks they are both very similar.

[josh1324]

I noticed the coils negative terminal is connected to positive, and vice versa, is it supposed to be like this?

[deej397]

That portion is backwards, everything except the + and - on the Ignition coil is correct, just flip the two

[techno guy]

This doesn't work, I already fried 3 555 timers because of how the negative is connected to the chip and the high voltage goes into the chip and fries it.