Welcome! Log In Create A New Profile

Advanced

3D Printed Van de Graaff generator

Posted by the_digital_dentist 
Forum List Message List New Topic
the_digital_dentist
3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 09, 2018 01:09AM
A while back I made a Van de Graaff generator using printed base, legs and rollers, driven by a small 12V car seat adjuster motor. It has a 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe tube and I just switched from 11" top terminal to 14" diameter top terminal (using two Ikea salad bowls!). It has a 3" wide rubber belt and the bottom roller is covered with aluminum tape while the top roller has teflon tape. Brushes were pulled out of a junked laser printer. With the 14" top terminal it should be capable of generating 520 kV. Based on the performance I've seen, I think it does.



Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]
Reply Quote
o_lampe
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 09, 2018 02:25AM
thumbs up Nice fly-catcher for summer nights on the porch smiling smiley
Reply Quote
the_digital_dentist
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 09, 2018 08:55AM
I doubt bugs would go anywhere near it.

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]
Reply Quote
leadinglights
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 11, 2018 09:19AM
Nice. If I can find a practical use for one it will go on my immediate list to make - otherwise it will go on my "very soon" list.

Mike
Reply Quote
the_digital_dentist
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 11, 2018 12:04PM
They're fun for taking pictures of people with their hair standing up and a great crowd attractor at a maker faire...

It will probably drive all the dust out of the air around it- and deposit it on the walls.

I picked up another 14" bowl at Ikea yesterday. I'll cut a hole it in this afternoon and mount it on the base of the machine. I may get a longer pipe, too.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2018 12:09PM by the_digital_dentist.

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]
Reply Quote
VDX
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 11, 2018 06:21PM
Quote
the_digital_dentist
I doubt bugs would go anywhere near it.

... paint some smelly juice around the tube and they will winking smiley

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]
Reply Quote
MaurinoWeb
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 12, 2018 06:36AM
What a show ... congratulations!
Reply Quote
the_digital_dentist
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 12, 2018 02:00PM
Quote
leadinglights
Nice. If I can find a practical use for one it will go on my immediate list to make - otherwise it will go on my "very soon" list.

Mike

It's pretty good for destroying nearby electronics... If I leave the machine running for a while, it induces a charge on almost everything around it for a distance of at least a few meters.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2018 02:15PM by the_digital_dentist.

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]
Reply Quote
o_lampe
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 13, 2018 03:05AM
Quote
TDD
It's pretty good for destroying nearby electronics... If I leave the machine running for a while, it induces a charge on almost everything around it for a distance of at least a few meters.

Cool! It creates a smartphone free zone
You can sell it to every school or university as anti-cheating device during exams and tests...
Reply Quote
the_digital_dentist
Re: 3D Printed Van de Graaff generator
March 19, 2018 12:15AM
Someone at the makerspace wanted to make a VDG after seeing mine. He bought some HDPE drain pipe instead of schedule 40 PVC, so it is cheaper and lighter weight. The inside of the pipe is black and we weren't sure if it would work, so I tested it.

I printed some parts to hold 14" salad bowls, and replaced the plumber's tape with a self adhesive fiberglass/teflon tape used in vacuum food sealers. It works:





Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]
Reply Quote
Newer Topic Older Topic
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login