Safe High Voltage:
Ionizer, Negative Ion Generator
How to hook up a line cord: http://www.swansontec.com/sionizer.htm
Negative Ion Generators are small desktop appliances which were common in the 1970s and 1980s. They were sold as "air cleaners," and the ionized air was supposed to give health benefits.
Negative ion generators behave very similarly to Electrostatic Generators
such
as VandeGraaff or Wimshurst machines. All
electrostatic generators
produce high voltage (that's what
'static' electricity really is, high
voltage at low or zero current.) A negative ion generator's high voltage
is created with electronics rather than with moving parts.
A negative ion generator is actually a 10,000-volt DC power supply.
Even better, since the high-voltage terminal must be safely touched by the
users, ion generators are SAFE, current-limited, high-voltage power
supplies.
SAFETY - ION GENERATORS MUST BE SAFE IN ORDER TO BE SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES. CHECK FOR SAFETY WARNINGS ON YOUR ION GENERATOR BEFORE USING IT IN THIS APPLICATION. ALSO, NOTE THAT THIS TYPE OF GENERATOR CAN DELIVER SMALL "STATIC ELECTRIC" SHOCKS. THERE ARE OTHER HAZARDS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT:
1. NEVER REMOVE THE CASE OF AN ION GENERATOR OR STICK ANY OBJECT THROUGH SLOTS IN THE CASE, BECAUSE THE 120V POWER CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE DEVICE CAN ELECTROCUTE YOU.
2. DON'T MESS WITH IONIZING FAN-TYPE APPLIANCES. THEIR HIGH VOLTAGE CONNECTIONS ARE BURIED DOWN INSIDE THE CASE, AND ARE DANGEROUS AND NOT INTENDED TO BE TOUCHED WITH FINGERS. STAY WITH SMALL, SAFE, DESKTOP/tabletop ION GENERATORS.
3. NEVER PLAY WITH LEYDEN JARS OR HIGH-VOLTAGE CAPACITORS LARGER THAN 50 PICOFARADS. WHEN CHARGED UP BY AN ION GENERATOR (OR ANY OTHER HIGH-VOLTAGE SOURCE,) THEY CAN ELECTROCUTE YOU.I found a $5 ion generator at a garage sale. It works really well as an electrostatic power supply for the Soda-bottle Motor and other "static electricity" experiments. I estimate the output voltage to be between 10,000 and 15,000 volts. This is well into the "static electricity" voltage range. I measured the output current and found 5 uA (microamperes). 5uA is totally safe, it is smaller than the current obtained from touching a flashlight battery with damp fingers.
Modify your Ion generator to connect some terminals:
NEEDED:
* Negative Ion Generator
* Aluminum foil
* 2 (or emore) Alligator clipleads (Radio Shack)
* Plastic electrical tape
My Negative Ion Generator looks like this:
Disk of
black foam /|
_\| / |
/ | AIREASE(tm) NEGATIVE ION GEN.
/ |
/ |
| |
||||||||||||||| SIDE VIEW
|||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||| (Device is about 8 inches tall)
|||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||| <-- wrapped in black foam
|||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||
| |
|_____________| (AC power cord not shown)
The circular black foam disk is the NEGATIVE power supply terminal. The
other terminal, the POSITIVE one, is invisibly connected to ground through
the AC cord.
To connect an alligator cliplead to the Ion Generator, I placed a 1 inch
strip of aluminum foil against the black foam disk, then wound some black
electrical tape around both the foil and the top of the plastic case. (I
left a tab of foil sticking out.) This pushes the foil firmly against the
black foam. I then clipped my cliplead to the aluminum foil. (Fold
several layers of foil together to make your strip, this keeps it from
tearing.)
To verify that it worked, I plugged in the ion generator and gently
touched the alligator clip with one finger. Sure enough, little sparks
crackled as I brushed the clip with my fingertip.
To power the POP BOTTLE
ELECTROSTATIC MOTOR , I clipped the other end of my
alligator cliplead to the bare "commutator" wire of one of the stator
bottles. The other stator bottle must be connected to ground. Grounded
connections can be had from:
- Cold water pipe
- Faucet on the sink
- The metal screw on an AC wall socket
- The metal screw on a light switch
If your negative ion generator is significantly different from mine, it
might be easier for you to connect it up. Some ion generators have a
little tuft of black fur. This fur is conductive, it is the negative
terminal. You can carefully clip your alligator clip directly to this
fur.
SAFETY NOTE: use a small desktop ion generator, DO NOT use a FAN-TYPE ION
GENERATOR. The negative terminal of an ionizing fan is buried down inside
the plastic case. IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE SAFELY TOUCHED.
WHERE TO BUY?
Ionizers are expensive when new. $30 - $100. They are
very cheap at "Salvation Army" stores, garage sales, etc., if you can find
them.
Try searching eBay
Here's a 12-volt ionizer I've been meaning to try. I don't know if it will work as a power supply, but it could be rigged for battery operation if it does work. http://www.infoscantech.com/products/house/ist101.html Ebay has lots of these "car ionizers" which plug into the cigarette lighter (they need 12V DC of course.)
IONIZER FROM ELECTRONICS GOLDMINE Seawise Industrial Ltd. Model # G1783. Input: 120 Vac. Output: -7.5KVDC The main component in a household ionization unit. 2.2" x 1" x 0.86" thick with a mounting tab that extends 0.75" from the unit. UL recognized. Price: $10.95 How to hook up a line cord, see: http://www.swansontec.com/sionizer.htm
IONIZER FROM ELECTRONICS GOLDMINE, Battery-powered Negative Ion Generator-G9695 NOTE: NOT SAFE, PRODUCES PAINFUL JOLT!
