Cockroft-Walton Generator - A classic circuit you should know

[@rdpoulson]

I really love the classic circuit series you do - please keep it up! Thanks!

[@learnelectronics]

More to come!

[@duracollins]

Brother, let me say, you speak to my soul with the knowledge you gift. I've been watching numerous accounts & genres, (lawl) learning electronics & I remember seeing a battery pack video you expertly explained the fundamental theory & demonstrated as only a scholar can. I think it was Einstein who said if you can't explain it so a 4-year-old can understand it you don't fully comprehend your explanation

[@christopherf7423]

Very cool circuit. And thanks for showing us that sim software from National Instruments.

[@FreddyYesp]

Thank you for going stage by stage, dont know why a simple circuit was confusing me so much. Got it finally

[@arubaguy2733]

Also commonly called a "cascade" multiplier. I used to repair power supplies that could boost 120v to over 100kV using a 10-stage cascade. The entire stack had to be immersed in dielectric oil to suppress arcing across the later stage components. Although the voltage was multiplied to an extremely high level, the output current was DIVIDED by an equal factor. At 100kV, the current available was in the MICROAMPS range. The power supplies were used to put a high charge on automotive paint that caused it to be attracted to oppositely charged car bodies, thus minimizing wasted paint (for environmental and cost saving benefits). Automotive paint costs well over $200 a gallon and is quite toxic.

[@TheJustinJ]

They still make electrostatic painting and powder coating equipment. 110kv and 110 microamps is as good as is gets for manual application.

[@michaelpadovani9566]

Heard of both individuals but not the circuit - thx for sharing, elegantly simple

[@jackson-aka2gs749]

I gained two very beneficial things from this video. 1. a simple C-W Generator Circuit. 2. multisim.com/create to draw out everything going forward with electronics projects/science/experiments/etc. Excellent...thank you for taking the time and effort to create and post this video.

[@joejane9977]

0:45 love the volage and thank you for your time and great video

[@paulp2089]

Thanks Paul. Of course there is no such thing as a "free lunch", so I assume the available current plummets proportionally with the 'volage' rise :-)

[@TrapShooter68]

Was thinking the same

[@benbaselet2026]

Power delivery of these things is small, but you could always charge a big-ass cap on the end to make some very nice bang bang :-)

[@pileofstuff]

I remember encountering this cct in an old broadcast transmitter probably 30-35 years ago. IIRC, it was being used to provide a bias voltage to one of the higher power tubes.

[@learnelectronics]

Yep they were used in some CRTs

[@nakulsingh8444]

Never stop this series.

[@ThinkingNow]

I was thinking "what would someone use this for, a particle accelerator or something?" right as you said particle accelerator. Synchrotronicity :)

[@spwicks1980]

Really great explanation. Thanks! The particle accelerator Cockcroft built became the very first mass spectrometer with some modification by Rayleigh and Aston. Even today, modern mass spectrometers still use the cockcroft multiplier to get the high voltage to drive the quadrupole mass filter and electron multiplier and HED. My old lab's in house engineer told me about them years back but i never truly understood how they worked until today.

[@learnelectronics]

Thanks for the info!

[@AdamWainwright1966]

Am learning such a lot from you Paul. Thank you!

[@Barty.Crowell]

I REALLY want to make one of these. There's just something about HV circuits that has always peaked my interest

[@gocybigt1]

Probably the plasma... bright, loud, and starteling..... by far the most metal form of matter. XD

[@jayakrishnanb9092]

@@gocybigt1 w

[@RuneBivrin]

I'm guessing you mean they have piqued your interest. If it had peaked, it would have been waning now😜

[@gocybigt1]

Yayyyy I was wondering when u would cover this one!!!!!!! Ty Paul!

[@RuneBivrin]

These were in pretty much every CRT television set and monitor, as a potted block with a scary lead coming out. It was always exciting to swap one out, as the tube could easily have 20kV worth of charge remaining...

[@Keeping_IT_Simple]

Great explanation.. Would love to see a tutorial or 2 on getting started with the simulation software if possible ...

[@Keeping_IT_Simple]

@@andymouse thanks for the info ... I've been wanting to get into circuit simulation and will certainly try your recommendation.

[@wasiullahkhan-ip6lh]

Great Video! But i have a question that how we select the value of capacitors for desired output ?

[@hus_8s]

Thank you very much, Sir ...Great Explanation

[@NWE_Dr_Ether]

Thanks for making this video. Can i ask how impedance of capacitor work in this circuit?

[@electronic7979]

Helpful video 👍

[@dalmiester]

You are a super teacher! Keep these coming!!!

[@LaneLarson]

Great video. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!

[@learnelectronics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@devilssongs530]

He has the best explanation

[@RC-Flight]

Now that is one cool circuit and a nice video too boot. I’m assuming each stage of the circuit would need higher and higher voltage rated Caps? Also are they electrolytic or non?

[@learnelectronics]

No, there is never more than 2Vp on a cap that's what makes this circuit so cool

[@georgechambers3197]

The classic circuit series rocks. 😁 Another scarry circuit though. Thanks for the video!

[@learnelectronics]

Thanks for watching!

[@amazagx]

Great!! I love when you get hands on with the pencil on the board. I have a couple of questions. - I understand that as long as there is not a load in the circuit in the output, if you disconect the source, then (ideal components) the capacitors will be charged for ever. I mean, ready for a fast discharge to any load that you could connect to the output. Am I right? - If I understand it right, the circuit is basically storing energy. The amount of energy stored will depend (for a given source voltage) on the capacitors value. Therefore, if the capacitors are very low (picos) the voltage would rise very much with many stages, but the stored energy would still be reasonably low. Am I right? So, even with the voltage high enough to penetrate the surface of our skin, the small energy discharged would limit the risk? (I am assuming the source was already disconnected) Example: even when a microwave oven’s is disconnected, its capacitor is extremely dangerous not just because it may stay charged with high voltage, but because its capacity is high. This means it contains the combination a lot of energy with enough voltage to break thru the skin open wide. On the other hand, with your circuit charged but already disconnected, implemented with 1pF capacitors (example) in all the stages, the voltage will still rise high above our skin dielectric barrier but the discharge wiould be less risky due to the low energy transfered. A bit lke woth the Tesla coils. High voltage enough to ionize the air and make our body conductive, but not enough energy to damage us. Am I right? Or I am missing sonething important?

[@unofficialengineer9463]

I want to know will this setup produce more High Voltage than marx generator with the same no. Of Capacitors

[@bomberoo243]

Thanks man great content!!! Have a good one

[@noelandrew3600]

i have a big on of these in a pair formation with both positive and negative ten stages each and it is powered by a flyback transformer, output is around 300KV and is a fun way to scare the hell out of visitors to the lab. my tazzer on steroids. definitely lethal but not the highest voltage produced in by things in my lab, the tesla coil produces well over a million volts.

[@dr.diegoarredondo3893]

Thanks for the knowledge! what happens to current on this circuit?

[@brianwood5220]

Handy little circuit. Would it work if you had a 12v secondary transformer and you needed 54v to power an amp. you could smooth it, rectify and off you go?

[@learnelectronics]

you loose current in exchange for Voltage, but depending on what your needs are, yes it could work

[@linuxman0]

Very cool circuit. However, what size capacitors are you using? What happens if you change that size? What dictates capacitor size?

[@nigeljohnson9820]

The multiplier can be driven from a battery, using an oscillator and step up transformer. I use a 9-0-9 volt output transformer in reverse. With either a blocking oscillator connected to the low voltage side, or any one of the multivibrator type oscillators, such as the Royer oscillator, or the zero volt switching configuration. The output square wave can then be multiplied up, for things like Ionisers, radiation detectors, and general EHT sources. It's worth note, that while driving from a low voltage battery limits the maximum power that can be delivered, it does not make the output any less lethal.

[@Constitutionallycorrect]

how do you get it to stop rising voltage? It looked like it was just gonna keep on going indefinitely in your little program.

[@weerobot]

Love The Classic series Videos...

[@MrMattberry1]

Great video thanks. Bit confused though, how can you put a positive charge to the negative side of capacitor, I presume they are polarized? And then the current goes through the capacitor??

[@learnelectronics]

Hv ceramic caps are not polarized

[@lo-fidevil2950]

Great vid. That's some circuit alright.

[@SwagatamMajumdar]

I think the 9V input is the RMS, the peak will be 9 x 1.41 = 12.69

[@devilssongs530]

I am trying to make arc/plasma reactor/processor for a science lab project. This will gonna help me alot. Its been 2 weeks science, i am researching on, and i wasted $1500. But it goona help me alot, now.

[@1.8millionvolts87]

holy shit, 1500$? goddamnnnnnn. Bro are you fr?

[@danadeline]

amazing vid, super easy to understand. Thank you! d:)

[@warrenking1815]

High voltage triple for old tube tv, and yes they BITE!

[@learnelectronics]

Indeed!

[@t1d100]

Thanks for your efforts to teach us! Do we need to use AC rated ("X", or "Y") capacitors? If not, do we need electrolytics? What formula do we need to calculate the capacitor values?

[@ELECTROxigeno76.]

Tks Master,.

[@Sh4dowHunter42]

Great video, thank you so much.

[@JohnColgan.]

It's the AMPS that kill !!

[@JohnSmithZen]

Thanks for the video!

[@pleasecho2]

What diodes are used? 2007's?

[@markclark787]

Thanks

[@grahambambrook313]

There is a circuit like this in my Tektronix 'scope that delivers 12kV to the tube; or it would if I could keep the thing working. Ouch!!!

[@taurruth]

What am I supposed to do with this? What is a practical application for this circuit?

[@mr-meek]

I love volage :D

[@jackspratt4343]

Excellent except the thumb nail picture is misleading.

[@richardhead8264]

_Is this circuit the sort of thing they use in pocket calculators that run on a single button cell or a solar cell?_ 🤔

[@learnelectronics]

No these are used to provide HV for CRTs and X-ray machines

[@bobdoritique7347]

Merci, very interesting.

[@learnelectronics]

Glad you liked it!

[@otroblogdemarcelo]

Can I use this generator, but take an input from a 555 timer?

[@joejane9977]

you can just realize that the 555's output is limited to something like 40ma so you might want to drive a transistor or bjt with it to switch another load at minimum you should have a resistor in series before the first stage to limit current

[@bblod4896]

So each capacitor acts as a cup holding twice the charge as the previous cup. "LIGHTBULB" That makes sense. What voltage ratings for the capacitors and diodes should one use? I can build a particle accelerator now Yahoo! Thanks Paul. Peace.

[@learnelectronics]

I used 1000V caps. No cap holds more than 2Vp

[@hasn812]

good

[@johnnz4375]

What needs to be the voltage rating for the diode’s and capacitors? The same as the output voltage?

[@pileofstuff]

Yup. The diode and cap at the outout side see the entire voltage across them. You could cheap out at the input side with lower voltage components, but that's kinda pointless. Normally it will be the same diode and the same cap all the way across. 1N4007 and common ceramic caps will get you safely up near 1KV and those are pennies a piece.

[@joejane9977]

you should at minimum use 1.5x rated caps / diodes as voltage min. this is a common overhead.

[@pileofstuff]

@@joejane9977 Of course.

[@electroniquepassion]

👍bien

[@devilssongs530]

I was shocked 😮 when he says "they use it to power particle accelerator"

[@w2tty]

It seems to me c1 would discharge when the the current reverses

[@w2tty]

Not suggesting anything wrong, just confused

[@squatmasterproductions2973]

I'm a complete beginner, so this question probably seems stupid, but what would happen if you just used dc power? In other words if you put 12 volts in, what would the end result be? And if it boosts the voltage dramatically, why isn't this circuit used in generators? Or is it, lol

[@learnelectronics]

Pulsed DC will work

[@MrVosh-nj2lc]

@@learnelectronics Is pulsed DC the same as AC?

[@joejane9977]

a pure dc load will be blocked by the caps. only AC passes thru caps " ESR notwithstanding" pulsing DC will work

[@squatmasterproductions2973]

@@joejane9977 ahh ok, I can understand that explanation, thanks

[@definty]

What about dc?

[@melplishka5978]

Yup it’s awsome butt hard to insulate between stages lol. But looks awsome tho lol.

[@justtinkering6713]

Generator?

[@submarineradioman5535]

Are you a former “bubblehead’? de Howie WA3MCK - RM1(SS) SSN-687 SSN-650 AGSS-555

[@mtkoslowski]

No VOLAGE but VOLTAGE.

[@gryzman]

jeee you got noisy neighbours.

[@belovedsandworm]

Voltage will not kill you.

[@mohdashifkhan2858]

How can I learn electronic and all ways I can earn money

[@minliu2k3]

Just watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2apZ3ylmZV_pdk last night and has no idea how it works. Now I "think" I know.

[@PyroPhantom99MC]

are you a fed

[@skinnyphuqer]

What about capacitor and diode voltage ratings? Do they need to increase as you add more stages?

[@gocybigt1]

Yayyyy I was wondering when u would cover this one!!!!!!! Ty Paul!