Capacitor Bank...how to?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
This is something I would like to make, and I was wondering two things...first, do you think it will work? Second, how do i make the capacitor bank, i think i know what it looks like but could somone draw up some schematics for me so i can be sure?



http://www.empshield.com/emp/emp4.txt



Quote:

1. A large high voltage non-polarized capacitor or capacitor bank.

(capacitor bank == many capacitors hooked up in parallel). I am

only saying to use non-polarized capacitors as the is less danger

of them blowing up.



The capacitors i used for the weapon design 1, in this article are a 5uF@20kV capacitor bank which would be approx 80cm by 40cm in size. Thought for move power if you can find higher voltage capacitors or/and giant ones, for example 50uF@50kV is even better! I would not go over 50kV though, as you will have big problems with insulation. An not under around 10kV as the pulse will probably be too weak. also the type of capacitor matter to and extent, as many capacitors will not be designed for this (well most) and won't work very well.



I want to build the first one because i think it will be easiest and would like to use this generator



http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/hvgen.htm
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    sebseb Posts: 676member
    You'll put your eye out kid.



  • Reply 2 of 21
    cesarocesaro Posts: 10member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ast3r3x

    This is something I would like to make, and I was wondering two things...first, do you think it will work? Second, how do i make the capacitor bank, i think i know what it looks like but could somone draw up some schematics for me so i can be sure?



    http://www.empshield.com/emp/emp4.txt







    I want to build the first one because i think it will be easiest and would like to use this generator



    http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/hvgen.htm






    I get the impression that you might be the kind of person that, if placed in a room with a BIG red button, you'd press it.



    So, that said I hope you read the fine print. If you are not sure how to build it or why you are doing it like that DONT DO IT! Being a forum about Apple computers I'm not sure about the relevance of your thread, apart from destruction of said items. I only reply because if you buy Apple then we might be concerned about reducing their market share by one. But before doing something that you are not sure about the consiquences ask yourself this, what would happen if I stuck my fingers in a power point? or what if I flew a kite in a lightning storm?
  • Reply 3 of 21
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Cesaro

    I get the impression that you might be the kind of person that, if placed in a room with a BIG red button, you'd press it.



    So, that said I hope you read the fine print. If you are not sure how to build it or why you are doing it like that DONT DO IT! Being a forum about Apple computers I'm not sure about the relevance of your thread, apart from destruction of said items. I only reply because if you buy Apple then we might be concerned about reducing their market share by one. But before doing something that you are not sure about the consiquences ask yourself this, what would happen if I stuck my fingers in a power point? or what if I flew a kite in a lightning storm?




    how BIG of a red button? and is the button marked?





    i do these types of things to learn (and cuz it would be way cool!) but i dont do them if i dont have all the information. I am researching everything as much as possible before i consider making it or beginning to make it. I have a basic understanding of electronics but i read and build things like this to increase my knowledge (hands on stuff)
  • Reply 4 of 21
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    So get a bunch of high voltage non-polarized capacitors, they'll co$t you (or you can try and make one, but it isn't pretty). Non polarized means it doesn't matter which way you put them in the circuit (if they are polarized, and you accidentally make it so the wrong leads connect to the wrong sides, you can blow stuff up).



    To connect them in parallel, just have all the ends of one terminal of all of your capacitors be connected to one wire, and the other ends of all capacitors connected to another wire. The terminal you choose shouldn't matter since they are non-polarized.



    And with this sort of voltages, you might want some good insulation like mica or vacuum or teflon otherwise the voltage is great enough for current to flow through the insulation (insulators with low break down voltages like air... ) causing shorts.



    Um, good luck 8)
  • Reply 5 of 21
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Use electrolytic caps and just don't be an idiot. You'll be able to store some serious charge. Nonpolarized caps don't have the charge density you want.



    Quote:

    The first one uses a large high voltage capacitor bank to provide the huge alternating current to generate a RF burst, though unlike the other methods the frequency will be to low for the radiation to be guided effectively by a waveguide, unless you reduce the capacitance of the capacitor bank significantly or raise the voltage of the capacitor bank significantly, either of these things should raise the frequency significantly.



    I'm skeptical. Sine waves don't just magically appear from DC ciruits, and the methods listed in the text seem like far stretches to me.furthermore, passive elements don't oscillate. The only wave form I can think of would be from the bounce of the balls, but I'm telling you now that you'd be wasting your money to build one of these.



    Here's the kicker:

    Quote:

    I have not built or tested one of these and that is the only real way to know. . . .



    If you want to learn, get the book called "The Art of Electronics" and start at page 1. If you want a project, build yourself a DSL filter.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:

    This page was created out of the passion I have for my car, a trait shared among all RX-7 owners. I hope you find it useful.



    Hey. . . I like this Aaron Cake guy.



    http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/



    And holy shit, he has a link to me.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    i'll check out that book...i have real schematics that have been verified to probably work but work extremely weakly, perhaps i can figure out a way to make it stronger after i read this book



    thanks
  • Reply 8 of 21
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ast3r3x

    i'll check out that book...i have real schematics that have been verified to probably work but work extremely weakly, perhaps i can figure out a way to make it stronger after i read this book



    thanks




    The emp pulse stuff is basically horse. If you want to do this kind of high power stuff, a much more useful thing to do is to make a tesla coil. It will do all the EMP you'll want as well.



    Of course, even a shitload of power in the case of a Telsa coil insn't enough to EMP a full office building as suggested in the spec on your website. So there's not a lot of chance that your backpack full of capacitors is going to either, considering also that it's going to be hemmoraging power across an extremely wide bandwidth, and no normal active element (transistor) would be handle that kind of voltage/current, so you're not going to have a lot of luck in pulsing 20kV as a sinusoid. Of course, that's not even necessary. A square wave is even fine, but that's not easy either in the case of a backpack full of capacitors.



    The art of electronics is a 70 dollar book about electronics. Not how to make stupid crap that doesn't work.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    It's a stupid idea. Sorry to disappoint you. EMP that is much, much larger than anything you could even dream of building hits Wall Street all the time without incident. It's called lightning. Is that big enough for you? Anything smaller would hardly be noticed at all. Lightning causes electrical damage when it hits a power line, sending a large voltage surge into equipment that cannot handle it. But the EMP hasn't gotten much attention. If you are listening to AM radio you just get some static.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    heh, well i have a tesla coil...or its almost done being built



    i will definatly pick up that book soon...perhaps i buy that before my ghillie suit



    i dont plan on one strong enough to really knock out wallstreet, but just somethign strong enough to knock out a computer neary by (within 5ft)
  • Reply 11 of 21
    airslufairsluf Posts: 1,861member
  • Reply 12 of 21
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AirSluf

    Hmmm, ghillie suits and EMP weapons all in the same post. I bet you are building a fan base in the FBI.



    Don't continue being stupid here or you will get yourself in a heap of unshakeable trouble before you know it.








    the ghillie suit is for painball and the EMP is just because i think its cool, i really don't plan on doing anything destructive with it (because i know if i got caught well that wouldn't be good at all)
  • Reply 13 of 21
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Splinemodel



    If you want to learn, get the book called "The Art of Electronics" and start at page 1.




    how complex is this book, i'm an 11th grader so i'd like to know if it starts off assuming u know alot or if it does well at explaining things (basically does it teach you or show u how to put concepts that it assumes u should know together)



    my birthday is may 5th so i may get this because i do enjoy reading about stuff like this (man i am a geek )
  • Reply 14 of 21
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ast3r3x

    how complex is this book, i'm an 11th grader so i'd like to know if it starts off assuming u know alot or if it does well at explaining things (basically does it teach you or show u how to put concepts that it assumes u should know together)



    my birthday is may 5th so i may get this because i do enjoy reading about stuff like this (man i am a geek )




    Um. . . It's going to be a tough read for you, in all honesty, unless you are ahead in calculus. Well, you can certainly learn it from an empirical approach, but if you understand 2nd Order Ordinary Differential Equations (notice the capital letters) and Fourier/Laplace Transforms, it will really fit together.



    There's a student's manual that goes with the book. It's 35 bucks. You may want to get that instead. It's simpler and assumes less knowledge. Plus it has cartoons, which are cool. I have both.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Splinemodel

    Um. . . It's going to be a tough read for you, in all honesty, unless you are ahead in calculus. Well, you can certainly learn it from an empirical approach, but if you understand 2nd Order Ordinary Differential Equations (notice the capital letters) and Fourier/Laplace Transforms, it will really fit together.



    There's a student's manual that goes with the book. It's 35 bucks. You may want to get that instead. It's simpler and assumes less knowledge. Plus it has cartoons, which are cool. I have both.




    so would you recommend i read the student manual before i move on to this book?



    where can i buy/find information about this student manual?





    -OR-



    where/what book would you recommend i start? (haha dont say college)
  • Reply 16 of 21
    jante99jante99 Posts: 539member
    ast3r3x: You may want to know that hot glue is a very good insulator if you don't want to buy real insulation. Just cover every wire with it and hope for the best. (I don't know if it works with high voltages but I use with with custom lights for plays.) Then again hot glue probably isn't the right stuff to use when you are building a component of a device that can be used to replicate the electromagnetic pulse created by an atomic bomb.



    Also that page warns you that you can blow yourself up if you mess up. Isn't that a pretty big risk simply to build a solid state tesla coil?
  • Reply 17 of 21
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    Too bad hot glue will melt rather quickly when those wires get red hot, and then short stuff off, then blow some stuff up.



    Really, you want to use a vacuum insulator.



    But really, if you want to kill some electronics, do this:

    1) Buy 10 of your favorite capacitors and wire

    2) Wire them all up to form a big loop

    3) Put the victim electronic equipment in the middle of the loop

    4) Stand on the victim

    5) Jump up and down 1000 times



    Works every time!



    And you really don't need much knowledge to build a thing out of schematics. You do need several years of education to learn how to make those schematics though, I doubt one simple book, which is already advanced, will help you much.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    haha well that is why i was asking if this book is super advanced or could be used to start to learn things...i got the impression it was advanced by reading the reviews at amazon.com and barnes and noble



    what book woudl you recommend if i want to learn about electronics, how they work, and some theories/concepts about them
  • Reply 19 of 21
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    I'll still go ahead and recommend the student's manual. It's based on A Harvard course in electronics, so it's not more than a lightweight text, but just right for you. (Harvard engineering sucks / doesn't really exist)



    "Student's Manual For The Art of Electronics"

    Thomas C Hayes

    Paul Horowitz



    I'm sure amazon has it.
  • Reply 20 of 21
    lemonlemon Posts: 29member
    Why not start out with BEAM? It's cool in a nerdy way.



    http://www.solarbotics.com/beam/default.asp



    I love it..
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