Exploding stuff is simple and fun. Just put the conductive stuff to be exploded across the capacitor output and it will vaporize (unless it’s a hot dog). The capacitor bank is discharging 5 kJ in to some steel wool for more impressive sparkler effects.
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This is a mini Tesla coil, made from odd parts from other projects and a neon sign transformer that runs from 240 V mains.
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OK – a 2 minute tour.
I am mainly a High Voltage and Tesla coil enthusiast. I like big sparks.
I also have hundreds of other projects here which involve electrical, pulse power, laser, magnetism and other weird stuff. All documented with thousands of photos.
Some of the high voltage photos are unique artistic creations and have appeared on TV around the world.
Right that was 10 seconds….
Best projects:
Check out a 16,000 Joule 12,000 volt capacitor bank for hugely powerful discharges. Half a gigawatt of peak power used for Can crushing, coinshrinking, exploding wires, exploding watermelons and many other experiments. Perhaps look at the Xmas tree 2009, the Red Alert Tesla coil, Jacob’s Bi-ladder, making liquid oxygen, Discovery Channel videos of my stuff, my new record spark length of 11 feet, multicolored sparks, the Tesla Envy video – up VERY close to huge sparks, Dalek cage, swimming with 100,000 volts, video of car theft protection, “Eye of Sauron” and a sparks for beginners project with only 3 components.
Other capacitor banks with electronic switching drive projectile devices such as a rail gun and coil gun. Other HV stuff stuff includes voltage multipliers, Van de Graaff generator, Jacobs ladder, lifters and other high voltage supplies. Various lasers including a homemade ultraviolet nitrogen laser, NdYAG, HeNe, Blu-ray laser, and CO2. Also magnetohydrodynamic drive, 800 A spotwelder, huge smoke rings, liquid nitrogen, ferrofluid, magnetic levitation, miscellaneous electronic projects and a few half baked ideas…
I did a modern interpretation of Tesla’s famous photo with his wireless light globe. My performance in the heats of Australia’s Got Talent. Highlights in recent months include work on a proposal to NASA to view my light from Space. The light is used on the World’s brightest LED bike light (below) and World’s brightest portable LED flashlight . Also see the Xmas tree 2010. Had a visit from SteamPunk enthusiasts for a night of Tesla goodness.
That’s another 60 seconds for speed readers.
So spend the next 50 seconds flipping through some photos and you’re done…
Above, the World’s most powerful LED bike light
Merry Christmas folks ! That’s what we’re like downunder.
The World’s brightest LED flashlight shown above lighting a lighthouse.
See how 60,000 volt sparks protect a computer from viruses—or at least flying insects …
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A proof of principle railgun 1 uses a high current to force a conductor outwards. A railgun is a method of converting electrical power into kinetic energy of a metal projectile. “Continue reading” for more details. Continue reading
My earliest can crusher. Can crushing is a sudden constriction of a can using very high induced current.
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Measurement of High Current Pulses (or my multimeter doesn’t have a 100,000 amp scale). The upper trace shows a peak current of two squares (20,000 A) and lower trace a peak voltage of nearly 2 squares of around 5 kV. Note how the current lags behind the applied voltage.
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High voltage halo effects are done with a long exposure of a rotating spark with a colour filter.
Here are some of the effects that are produced by long exposures in a similar manner to the Eye of Sauron effect but not using a Tesla coil.
The photo above shows the “Sombrero” . Well it was meant to be a crown really. Note the reflection in the stainless steel ball which shows the sombrero as well as the flash and my wife and son operating the equipment.
Note that as in all my photos there is no “photoshopping”. The pictures are all single shots and effects are produced with long exposures. Here’s how this one is done:
The HV supply I wired to a rotating setup that holds the electrodes.
The electrodes which will rotate around the ball (or my head) and on a long exposure with appropriate orange filter which is removed before a flash to give “normal” lighting for my head.
The photo above shows the effect off a higher current changing the bright sparks into a flaming arc. I should add that the whole sensation is a bit strange. The ionic wind and charge accumulation on my hair means I can feel exactly where the electrode is.
The photo above shows an ‘electric kris’. The kris is an Indonesian curved dagger.
Related pages
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External links
Kris Of Lightning My Google plus post
Indonesian curved dagger
Photo Date: March 29, 2008
Sparks here jump directly onto the protective camera cage. and the wide angle lens captures most of the 7 foot spark on the right. The left spark jumps to an aluminum tube just a foot or two in front of the camera. It is a 6 second exposure.
See my Google+ post.
Photo Date: 2009
Sure, umbrellas protect you from lightning, not just rain . A big Tesla coil sparks to the earthed frame.
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