I have NileRed to thank really, since he shouted out my thioacetone prep for being the first on CZcams. But yeah, I'm quite happy to have gotten this far so fast!
Consider a different switching device as a significant amount of energy is lost in the initial arc between the solenoid and the electrode. A nice replacement could be a Thyratron or a Trigatron. Additionally, A Pulse Forming Network (PFN) can help shape your capacitors comparatively slow output into a wickedly fast rising and destructive pulse.
The parallel configuration would result in the same total energy at a much lower voltage with the benefit of perfect cell balancing (no catastrophic overvoltage failures). Each cap has an average energy storage of 70 J (regardless of the parallel vs series connection). You may need to trade a heavier wire gauge for beefier dielectric insulation (it doesn't look like you are using wire with 4.5kV rated insulation) with a parallel setup. One obvious advantage with the high voltage series configuration is the ability for arcs to form on everything - even air. But if you are always using highly conductive load targets, maybe 450V would work just fine?
Yeah! I've been working on my EMP project for some months, and now I've seen this video! It's good to know other people also like reconstructing the old projects from the 60!
Cool I made a little capacitor bank by joining a few caps I salvaged , It is so much fun to short them and do a big bang heheh , is a nice stress reliever 🤣🤣
It doesn't look like you have a capacitor balancing circuit in there - if not be mindful that any part imbalance will result in the parts with a lower capacitance experiencing a higher voltage. Overvoltage can lead to runaway failures. You've seen what that looks like except now imagine a vapor jet of electrolyte...
True, I didn't think of that until it was too late! Might be worth revisiting sometime, because overvoltage is a very real risk with how high I typically charge this bank...now I'm kinda surprised that I haven't experienced a wildly catastrophic failure!
So freaking cool!!!! While I definitely understand the financial limitations of being a broke college kid, it does have a way of making us problem solve and come up with things that would usually be way more expensive and hard to get, for faaar, less than it seems it should be! I think that is the most useful thing I got from my education, was being resourceful and thrifty. And it didn't come from any of my classes. Just from being broke as a joke from paying for them! 🤣😭😭😭😭
How are the ESLs on those cheap caps? Standard electrolytic caps like this are generally crap when it comes to ESL, and unless they are low-ESR the ESR is also meh at best. I mean I guess they were cheap, but putting them in series also puts all the ESRs/ESLs in series, which is not great for pulse applications.
No clue, I'm sure the ESL/ESR on these is terrible! I didn't need them for clean, fast pulses though, since the flux compression device only cares about getting a decent seed current established, so they work well enough for me!
Honestly, I didn't put much thought into it! If I were to do it again though, I'd would definitely try to install some kind of reverse protection or oscillation dampening system (if something like that exists for such high-power devices). This was a pretty quick-and-dirty project, but it seems to serve its purpose without issue so far!
This setup is comparatively slow to, say, a large film pulse capacitor with low ESL/ESR, but it should do the trick well enough. For a flux compression device, fast rise/fall times aren't the most important thing. As long as it can establish a seed current of at least a few kiloamps, it should work just fine (in theory)!
@@user255 I did some rough simulations with a few uH of inductance and a few ohms of ESR, and it looks like this setup could top out around 5kA (maybe more), so we'll see!
Hmmmmm I have 8 of these 8" tall 4" wide 4.5lb each huge capacitors that are 100000uf at 100v each that I haven't figured out what to do with them yet and I also have a big microwave generator that I think makes 3000v? Not to sure but I haven't touched it yet because I'm to afraid of the high voltage I thought about rewiring it to make a spot welder out of it I just need to figure out how many turns of 8 gauge OFC and what the final load voltage is supposed to be for a spot ealder? And of course I have lots of MOSFETs and JFET's o and a few hundred lithium cells out of electric vehicles lol so much possiblity yet so little time
But in flux compression generator used very fast detonate explosives for compress magnetick flux so fast and create strong electromagnetic waves. Where you hope to find this explosives, cause that not sell in household shop....?
Well, I could make something like nitroglycerin, ETN, or even TNT, but that could land me in fair bit of legal trouble if I admit to making stuff like that on CZcams. My alternative is to use hydrogen: it's not restricted, it can be made by electrolysis in the perfect ratio with oxygen, and it can "detonate" at over 3000 m/s. Not as fast as a proper high explosive, but theoretically more than enough to get some level of flux compression.
@@LabCoatz_Science Understood. But in that kind of EMP devices detonation speed very important, because of it depends speed of compression/tearing of magnetic field....
Nuclear? I already have, although I never ran it on deuterium...my brother drank all the heavy water, lol. Funny story: I actually tried discharging this bank through the vacuum of the reactor, but it didn't work! Wish it did though, I'm sure it would have been quite the sight!
Dude. Never ever purchase a caps on aliexpress. It _always_ fake, even small ones. All other electronic parts is somewhat good, but not the caps. And not maybe the batteries, it's hard to find real ones. Even if this one looks almost good, it will most likely explode or something. Also i suggest opening one to see whats inside.
I had these recommended to me by a friend who uses them frequently in his projects. Granted, they were closer to 700uF instead of 820uF, but they tolerated the voltages appropriately and haven't failed yet. The real thing to beware with AliExpress is semiconductors: the MOSFETs and driver IC sold by them are almost always fake!
@@LabCoatz_Science dude there 2sc5198 transistors I got 5 of them last month and omg they are so crappy compared to the real ones it's a joke of a crappy copycat
Damn. This was only 7 months ago and you're talking about 5k subs.
You're currently sitting at 40.8k.
In 7 months.
That's freakin' impressive.
I have NileRed to thank really, since he shouted out my thioacetone prep for being the first on CZcams. But yeah, I'm quite happy to have gotten this far so fast!
@@LabCoatz_Science You're makin' good videos. Keep up the awesome work, man.
\m/
Consider a different switching device as a significant amount of energy is lost in the initial arc between the solenoid and the electrode. A nice replacement could be a Thyratron or a Trigatron.
Additionally, A Pulse Forming Network (PFN) can help shape your capacitors comparatively slow output into a wickedly fast rising and destructive pulse.
Awesome video Zach!!! Really enjoyed it! Your 3D printed case with the Isolators is amazing :)
Glad you like it, hopefully it performs well in the flux compression generator! 😉
The parallel configuration would result in the same total energy at a much lower voltage with the benefit of perfect cell balancing (no catastrophic overvoltage failures).
Each cap has an average energy storage of 70 J (regardless of the parallel vs series connection).
You may need to trade a heavier wire gauge for beefier dielectric insulation (it doesn't look like you are using wire with 4.5kV rated insulation) with a parallel setup.
One obvious advantage with the high voltage series configuration is the ability for arcs to form on everything - even air. But if you are always using highly conductive load targets, maybe 450V would work just fine?
Yeah! I've been working on my EMP project for some months, and now I've seen this video! It's good to know other people also like reconstructing the old projects from the 60!
Cool I made a little capacitor bank by joining a few caps I salvaged , It is so much fun to short them and do a big bang heheh , is a nice stress reliever 🤣🤣
now, a 7000-joule bank for use as a DC magnetizer would be a nice "next project!" Seriously, great job
It doesn't look like you have a capacitor balancing circuit in there - if not be mindful that any part imbalance will result in the parts with a lower capacitance experiencing a higher voltage. Overvoltage can lead to runaway failures. You've seen what that looks like except now imagine a vapor jet of electrolyte...
True, I didn't think of that until it was too late! Might be worth revisiting sometime, because overvoltage is a very real risk with how high I typically charge this bank...now I'm kinda surprised that I haven't experienced a wildly catastrophic failure!
Now make a nuclear version of it
I mean a nuclear bomb
Excited for part 2
can't wait to see the next part
cool
So freaking cool!!!!
While I definitely understand the financial limitations of being a broke college kid, it does have a way of making us problem solve and come up with things that would usually be way more expensive and hard to get, for faaar, less than it seems it should be!
I think that is the most useful thing I got from my education, was being resourceful and thrifty. And it didn't come from any of my classes. Just from being broke as a joke from paying for them! 🤣😭😭😭😭
could you give any tips to how to not damage the electrolyte caps during the discharge?
How are the ESLs on those cheap caps? Standard electrolytic caps like this are generally crap when it comes to ESL, and unless they are low-ESR the ESR is also meh at best. I mean I guess they were cheap, but putting them in series also puts all the ESRs/ESLs in series, which is not great for pulse applications.
No clue, I'm sure the ESL/ESR on these is terrible! I didn't need them for clean, fast pulses though, since the flux compression device only cares about getting a decent seed current established, so they work well enough for me!
Any worry about reverse polarity when the caps fire and ring?
Honestly, I didn't put much thought into it! If I were to do it again though, I'd would definitely try to install some kind of reverse protection or oscillation dampening system (if something like that exists for such high-power devices). This was a pretty quick-and-dirty project, but it seems to serve its purpose without issue so far!
Amazing! Did you use any bleeder/balancing resistors parallel with each capacitor?
Are you sure the pulse is fast enough? Usually electrolytic capacitors are quite slow (high internal impedance).
This setup is comparatively slow to, say, a large film pulse capacitor with low ESL/ESR, but it should do the trick well enough. For a flux compression device, fast rise/fall times aren't the most important thing. As long as it can establish a seed current of at least a few kiloamps, it should work just fine (in theory)!
@@LabCoatz_Science Few kA sounds kinda short pulse for ~700J... but let's hope it is good enough.
@@user255 I did some rough simulations with a few uH of inductance and a few ohms of ESR, and it looks like this setup could top out around 5kA (maybe more), so we'll see!
I just wondered what happens if you discharge this capacitor into a magnetron
Hmmmmm I have 8 of these 8" tall 4" wide 4.5lb each huge capacitors that are 100000uf at 100v each that I haven't figured out what to do with them yet and I also have a big microwave generator that I think makes 3000v? Not to sure but I haven't touched it yet because I'm to afraid of the high voltage I thought about rewiring it to make a spot welder out of it I just need to figure out how many turns of 8 gauge OFC and what the final load voltage is supposed to be for a spot ealder? And of course I have lots of MOSFETs and JFET's o and a few hundred lithium cells out of electric vehicles lol so much possiblity yet so little time
NileRed sent me your way.......big shoes to fill.......let's see what you got😁
Be warned: my new stuff is in far better video quality than the old stuff, lol! Just glad I moved up to a DSLR before the thioacetone video, haha!
I'm making a coil that'll have 1,200joules at 12v kinda like a capacitor and 24,000joules at 220v, can sny capacitor have this much energy in them?
I have been thinking my coil will act like a emp but not sure yet, i doubt I'll even need a cap
Boah!🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
But in flux compression generator used very fast detonate explosives for compress magnetick flux so fast and create strong electromagnetic waves. Where you hope to find this explosives, cause that not sell in household shop....?
Well, I could make something like nitroglycerin, ETN, or even TNT, but that could land me in fair bit of legal trouble if I admit to making stuff like that on CZcams. My alternative is to use hydrogen: it's not restricted, it can be made by electrolysis in the perfect ratio with oxygen, and it can "detonate" at over 3000 m/s. Not as fast as a proper high explosive, but theoretically more than enough to get some level of flux compression.
And this type of EMP device refers to magnetohydrodynamic generators which not only squeeze, but also tear magnetic field.
@@LabCoatz_Science Understood. But in that kind of EMP devices detonation speed very important, because of it depends speed of compression/tearing of magnetic field....
As I understood usually they use TNT. But it's so dangerous and yeah it's problems with law.
@@LabCoatz_Science I wouldn't use nitroglycerin because it's too unpredictable.
Do any tubers just use 120v AC capacitors? WTF?
So you are going on 20k now.
You're going to build a reactor aren't you.
Nuclear? I already have, although I never ran it on deuterium...my brother drank all the heavy water, lol. Funny story: I actually tried discharging this bank through the vacuum of the reactor, but it didn't work! Wish it did though, I'm sure it would have been quite the sight!
@@LabCoatz_Science 😂😂
6 days ago, "We recently passed our 5,000 subscriber mark". Happy to be a new sub
Dude. Never ever purchase a caps on aliexpress. It _always_ fake, even small ones. All other electronic parts is somewhat good, but not the caps. And not maybe the batteries, it's hard to find real ones. Even if this one looks almost good, it will most likely explode or something. Also i suggest opening one to see whats inside.
I had these recommended to me by a friend who uses them frequently in his projects. Granted, they were closer to 700uF instead of 820uF, but they tolerated the voltages appropriately and haven't failed yet. The real thing to beware with AliExpress is semiconductors: the MOSFETs and driver IC sold by them are almost always fake!
@@LabCoatz_Science dude there 2sc5198 transistors I got 5 of them last month and omg they are so crappy compared to the real ones it's a joke of a crappy copycat
Fuck yeah you did