High voltage Power supplies

There are many crucial parts to a sucessful coilgun project. One major component is a high voltage power supply. The amount of energy stored in a capacitor can by found by the equation .5 * C * V^2. Notice how the voltage is sqared. Simply put, the single most important variable in determining a coilgun's power is the voltage the capacitor banks are charged to. Increasing the capacitor voltage by just a little can have a significant impact on the coilgun performance.

What exactly do I mean by high voltage? For coilgun projects, a common maximum voltage used is 450 volts, which is used for this project as well. 450 Volts is used because large, 450 volt capacitors are widely available. It is uncommon to find large capacitors rated for a higher voltage. It should be noted that many capacitors are rated for 450 VDC, 525 VDC surge. This simply means that the capacitors can be charged to 525 for short periods of time without blowing up. Frankly, overcharging capacitors is inherently dangerous, and I do not recommend charging capacitors past their rated voltage. Because coilguns are extremely dangerous, I decided to make safety a major goal of my project, which is why my power supply is limited to 440 volts. After that, there is saftey circuitry to ensure that the output voltage does not go past 440 volts.

CLICK HERE TO LEAN HOW TO BUILD THIS POWER SUPPLY

Why build a power supply?
Why wouldn't it be easier to simply buy a high voltage power supply? The answer boils down to cost. Power supplies that go up to 450 VDC are very uncommon, and can cost hundreds of dollars even on ebay. It doesn't matter if it's new, used, or even thirty years old because it will still cost you a lot of money. Instead, you can build a safe high voltage power supply yourself for less than thirty dollars if you have an afternoon or two to spend on the project!

Types of high voltage power supplies

Switching power supplies

hese power supplies are very common in everyday electronics, including laptops. Switching power supplies have a very unique characteristic which is extremely helpful in modern electronics. Switching power supplies are used for converting a low DC voltage to a higher DC volage. For my project, I built a power supply which can convert 24 VDC all the way up to 440 VDC. I chose this type of power supply because switching power supplies are not too complicated, but they are certainly complicated enough to feel accomplishment when finished! If you want to lean how to build a high voltage switching power supply, be sure to click here! I also have data on how well this switching power supply operates.

Voltage Doublers

There are actually some fairly simple circuits which can take an AC voltage, and transform it into a higher DC voltage. Be sure to check this page out for more information on how to build very simple power supplies. I 'll even show you a voltage pentupler that I built!

Commercial Power Supplies

If you do choose to buy a high voltage power supply, I highly recommend that you do not buy a new one. These power supplies can cost thousands of dollars, which is unreasonable when considering you can build one for thirty dollars. Instead, look for electronic recycling centers, or eBay for a good deal on power supplies. Even if you do find a good high voltage power supply on eBay, it may still cost hundreds of dollars. Another thing to consider is that many power supplies can supply a high voltage, but not a high current. This means it will take an excessively long time to charge a large capacitor bank for your coilgun.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Coilgun projects can be extremely dangerous if you don't know what your doing. Capacitors can unleash massive amounts of electricity which can seriously injure or kill. Please use this information with caution, as I can not be held responsible for your actions.