High Voltage Power Supply Schematic

[Matthew Nikolaenko]

I'm currently working on a high-voltage electronics project, and I have a few questions and challenges that I'd like to discuss and get some guidance on.

1. I'm located in Australia and I'm struggling to find specific high-voltage components, including:
- ~16 microfarad high voltage capacitors
- Diodes rated for high voltage
- A ZVS driver at a high voltage rating

2. I'm attempting to create a negative polarity power source using a voltage multiplier, like a Cockcroft-Walton generator. I've successfully used center-tapped transformers for half-wave rectifiers in the past, but this is new territory for me. I understand that I need to reverse the diode orientations in the multiplier, but I'm unsure about other considerations or potential pitfalls. Has anyone worked on a similar project, or can you offer advice on building a negative polarity high-voltage source?

[Matt_Gibson]

Since you mentioned using ZVS, I’m guessing that your design frequency is in the kHz? 16uF is really large for a HV capacitor.

There’s a number of us that have built some really solid switching power supplies. Take a look at them before you settle on a plan.

-Matt

[Matthew Nikolaenko]

While I've come across the idea of using a Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) driver to reduce switching losses and improve efficiency (rather than using the ZVS driver solely for increasing frequency), I'm primarily focused on producing neutrons for now. I plan to research ZVS drivers more thoroughly in the future to optimize efficiency.

For capacitors, I've found 1000pF ones rated at 40kV for around $7 each, which seems cost-effective compared to microfarad-rated capacitors. I've also seen more expensive options, such as 500pF capacitors at $70 each which are made by brands that may be more reliable. I'm leaning towards the $7 capacitors due to cost considerations.

I've found 30kV, 100mA diodes for my project. To prevent overloading them, I plan to adjust the transformer's turns ratio appropriately. My intention is to initially work with these components and optimize further once I've completed the project.

Concerning the power output, I'm aiming for 55kV. I'm currently planning for a 4" chamber, but I'm open to expanding to 6" if I find an affordable diffusion pump in Australia. If arcing concerns arise, I'll limit the voltage accordingly.