Hi All,
This is my very first project and I'm not sure if I'm heading in the right direction or not ...

What I'm trying to do is increase DC voltage.

What I'm working with;
I have a DC power supply generating aprox.15kv @ 0.5A
a power input point or destination point
an obstacle - 5k ohm resistor

In a nut shell, I have 15kv - 15kv , departure and destination if you will.
I'm aiming for 15kv - 30kv or there abouts

The problem I think I'm faced with is there is a 5k ohm resistor I can not physically work around / bypass and must remain in place as it is a noise suppressor .

In other words, all voltage supplied must pass through a 5k ohm resistor to reach the "destination point".

I'm pretty sure using a 30kv capacitor will bump the voltage up but what options do I have with the resistor ?

Thanks in advance,
Jay

 

Something is not right here. You are working with a PSU generating 15kV @ 0.5A?

What are you, a ghost coming back from the grave?

That thing is lethal. Get some professional help pronto.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome ....

Not quite lethal - its a CDI ignition coil, similar to what you would find under your car bonnet.

 

Are you of the belief that 1/2 amp at 15,000 volts is not lethal?

Is it because of the low duty cycle?

I believe you mentioned a capacitor. Could that be dangerous?

 

Thanks for the warm welcome ....

Not quite lethal - its a CDI ignition coil, similar to what you would find under your car bonnet.

Then it won't deliver anywhere near 15 kV @ 1/2 A. It might draw 1/2A on the primary (12V side) but the current on the HV side is reduced by at least 100X.

FYI, an auto "coil" is not actually a coil at all, it's a flyback transformer so the current is reduced by the turns ratio that steps up the voltage which is typically about 100:1. When the points open, a voltage of about 200 - 300V jumps the points and steps up to about 30kV on the secondary.

 

Are you of the belief that 1/2 amp at 15,000 volts is not lethal?

Is it because of the low duty cycle?

I believe you mentioned a capacitor. Could that be dangerous?

Not likely lethal. I designed and built a CDI for my motorcycle. Total wattage is pretty low, spark shock can definitely make you jump but not lethal to a healthy person. It's about 2uF cap, charged up to 300 - 400V, then discharged into the primary of the "coil". Open circuit voltage can be upwards of 50kV, but current is very low.

Still, I would not advise screwing around with one.

 

Then it won't deliver anywhere near 15 kV @ 1/2 A. It might draw 1/2A on the primary (12V side) but the current on the HV side is reduced by at least 100X.

FYI, an auto "coil" is not actually a coil at all, it's a flyback transformer so the current is reduced by the turns ratio that steps up the voltage which is typically about 100:1. When the points open, a voltage of about 200 - 300V jumps the points and steps up to about 30kV on the secondary.

I've seen claims of 1.1 amp output for performance coils.

 

I've seen claims of 1.1 amp output for performance coils.

I don't believe that could be possible because that would be about 30 kW of power.

Many perf coils run low impedance (1.5 - 2 Ohms) on primary because their drivers are low duty cycle. So, they shoot high peak currents into the primary for more spark energy but even with a 6A peak current on the primary, the secondary side is down by at least a factor of 100 because of the turns ratio.

The total spark energy is actually limited by the "coil" core which stores the energy to be delivered to the spark plug. Like I said, I have seen them make people jump, but I don't think they could kill a healthy person.

 

"but current is very low."

.5 amps is not low!

Post you're circuit.

The quoted value of 0.5A is clearly impossible. Look at the size of an ignition coil. Do you believe it could deliver anywhere near 30 kW which is what 1A on the secondary would be? impossible. It's a flyback design and I would wager the core probably saturates at less than 10W stored.

Agree it is not something to fool with. The main danger for injury is jumping backwards and injuring yourself when shocked (seriously).

 

The quoted value of 0.5A is clearly impossible. Look at the size of an ignition coil. Do you believe it could deliver anywhere near 30 kW which is what 1A on the secondary would be? impossible. It's a flyback design and I would wager the core probably saturates at less than 10W stored.

Sorry I got your post mixed up with OP.
Didn't delete it in time.
Got to get to bed......................

 

Sorry guys, error on my behalf

Manufacturers numbers on the CDI ignition coil are 15kv@ 0.05A ( 50 Miliamps).

What I'm trying to achieve is boosting the voltage the spark plug fires with as Methanol needs a bigger charge to ignite.
Yes, there are other high performance CDI ignition coils out there but most don't physically fit this particular application .
A higher output ignition coil doesn't really solve the problem either as the plugs are internally fitted with a 5kΩ resistor for rfi suppression which I assume, would kill +/- 75% of the higher output ignition coil voltage.

I can't use a non resistor type plug as there's too much sensitive gear surrounding the engine and rfi shielding would be horrendous.

I have seen plenty of modifications using capacitors or diodes but all with non resistor type plugs.

 

Did you notice the Terms of Service at the bottom of each thread?
Discussion of automotive modifications is prohibited on AAC.
There are other forums that can help you on this matter.

 

Did you notice the Terms of Service at the bottom of each thread?
Discussion of automotive modifications is prohibited on AAC.
There are other forums that can help you on this matter.

Actually I did read the terms of service.

This thread I started has nothing to do with any type of automotive modifications .

Definition: Automotive - relating to or concerned with motor vehicles.

As a Moderator , you need to find the facts before accusing people of anything .
You have also done a great job of promoting the forum and welcoming new members .

By the way, here's the engine
Not really " automotive " or a " motor vehicle"

Thanks for the help mate

 

As a Moderator , you need to find the facts before accusing people of anything .

As a moderator, I am not accusing you of anything. I gave you the chance to clarify what you are doing by not closing this thread outright.

You are the one that needed to provide the facts, not for me to have to dig it out from you.

Thread lightly and treat your moderator with respect.

Welcome to AAC.

 

So let's get this straight.

Is this an ignition system for a radio control model engine?

If it is, why didn't you say so in your introduction on the first post?

 

As a moderator, I am not accusing you of anything. I gave you the chance to clarify what you are doing by not closing this thread outright.

You are the one that needed to provide the facts, not for me to have to dig it out from you.

Thread lightly and treat your moderator with respect.

Welcome to AAC.

I only gave basic information to begin with so I didn't confuse things any more than they needed to be - nothing more than just keeping it simple.

If people were interested in the application then they only need to ask.

I do agree with Moderator respect but " give it as you get it " is my view - ( no offense intended)

Thank you for the welcome ( insert thumbs up Smiley here )

 

Read through the follow up responses to your thread and you will clearly see that it was headed in the wrong direction.

You could have avoided this unfortunate miscommunication had you stated up front your specific application, especially since you had read the TOS and you knew that automotive modifications were banned.

 

So let's get this straight.

Is this an ignition system for a radio control model engine?

Yes it is.
The engine is a 30cc 2 stroke with a CDI ignition system.
Standard through to high performance plugs must be the resistor type due to RF interference with radio gear, electronics, gps, data logging, etc.

All I'm looking at doing is to try and provide the spark plug with more energy so the fuel (methanol) doesnt extinguish the the sparkplug's "ark"

Trying to work around the 5KΩ spark plug internal resistor is where I'm stuck.

 

The quoted value of 0.5A is clearly impossible. Look at the size of an ignition coil.

Sorry, I was tired last night and didn't save my sources.

Here is the first one I found showing .3 amps peak current.
http://www.jegs.com/i/MSD/121/8252/10002/-1
I was totally surprised, but it is peak.
"Turns ratio: 100:1
Primary resistance: .02 OHMs
Secondary resistance: 1.38K OHMs
Inductance: 7 mH
Maximum voltage: 42,000 Volts (Tested with 6AL Ignition)
Peak current: 300 mA
Spark duration: 200 uS"



Then I went on to find one with 1.1 amps peak. Can't find it now.

Here is a special ignition system with 30amp peak output.
"A plasma spark as referred to on the internet or by ignition engineers means a high voltage ignition spark with a very large ignition kernel with peak currents exceeding 20 to 30 amps. The net energy output of a plasma spark is several 100s of times greater than a conventional spark."
http://www.aquapulser.com/performance_ignition/faq.html#q1

Back on subject:
OP.

I don't believe that your ideas for doubling voltage from secondary side will be successful.

You can't gain power that way.

bountyhunter has built ignition systems and may be able to steer you in the right direction.

Seems you will need a larger coil, higher power primary circuit, or both.

ps.
I'd like to hear from an expert if the short duration of these energy pulses render them safe.

 

Enquiring Minds Must Know. How did this end?

I built a 1.5KV device once (vdg generator). Later, on eBay, I bought a 3KV PSU for a measly $250. The price to Heaven is Cheap.

That thing scared the crap out of me - and I DO NOT speak in a figurative sense. I ended up 22 feet away, with rather a mess to clean up, and paramedics. I sold it, because I have lots of projects to do before I cross my Rainbow Bridge: that beast was accelerating me toward it.

Is everyone enjoying their August 2015?!