What is High voltage: Definition and 162 Discussions

High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, high voltage refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant special safety requirements and procedures.
High voltage is used in electrical power distribution, in cathode ray tubes, to generate X-rays and particle beams, to produce electrical arcs, for ignition, in photomultiplier tubes, and in high-power amplifier vacuum tubes, as well as other industrial, military and scientific applications.

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  1. L

    Optimizing Sensitivity in a DIY Cloud Chamber: How Much High Voltage is Needed?

    I've built a simple cloud chamber using a peltier cooling element and I'm able to see some tracks which is really exciting. But now I've seen in many places that you can apply a high voltage between the floor and a ring at the top of the chamber to further improve sensitivity, and also to force...
  2. B

    High Voltage Rectifier Metering

    I need to upgrade voltage panel meters displaying DC voltage from the output of a high volt rectifier. The present meters are obsolete and use an input coming straight from the power supply. I think I need to install some kind of signal conditioner to display voltage from 0 to 800 DCV output...
  3. R

    High voltage and high amperage

    What happens if you take a high amperage supply from a transformer so that current was forced to flow a certain way in a conductor and you arc a high voltage supply over to this conductor also would you have high amperage and high voltage?
  4. S

    Discharging a high voltage capacitor using a low voltage source?

    Suppose a capacitor is initially charged up to 2V, and then a 1V DC voltage source is used to discharge the capacitor to 1V, what is the energy consumption from the voltage source and what is the total energy loss? Assume the capacitor is connected to the voltage source using a resistor and...
  5. Drakkith

    Where Can I Find a Connector for a 40kv 15ma High Voltage Power Supply?

    Hey all, I've got a high voltage power supply that I need some sort of connector for. It's a 40kv 15ma output and the connector screws in over a hole that leads to an enclosed plastic tube with a metal rod about halfway down. Are these standard connectors or do i need to do something crazy to...
  6. E

    Charge A High Voltage Capacitor

    Hey PF, My old PSU from my computer blew and being a techy I desolded all the capacitors and micro resisters. I currently have 2 x 200V 470u(micro)f and a 105k 250V capacitors and was wondering how I can charge them to there max capacity. Is there any easy and non dangerous way to do...
  7. S

    High voltage electric field does not stop electric motor

    I have made an attempt at understanding electric field and the effect they have on electrons by making the following test (see attached picture). What I did was take a 12 volt battery and connect a fan of a psu with it so the fan starts to turn by the flow of electricity, of course. I then...
  8. W

    Building High Voltage Supplies for Amateurs: Safety and Considerations

    High voltage supply questions! :) Ok, well a few friends of mine have come together to build a fuser and an electron accelerator. I have obtained an NST at 20ma 6 kv DC , but would like to build a crockcroft walton voltage multiplier for the accelerator. My question is, will this setup run off...
  9. M

    Low Pressure and high voltage in cathode rays experiment

    Hello ,people I don't understand what is the use of Low Pressure and high voltage in cathode rays experiment and why do beams of electrons are produced under these conditions? Thanks in advance...
  10. B

    High voltage Ac generation to apply to a capacitor

    Hi this is my first post on here I am looking to create a large voltage across a primarily capacitive load at around 190 kHz. At the moment i have a 175 Watt power amplifier which puts out 55 Vp. The output impedance also needs to be quite low < 100 ohms Does anyone have any idea how to...
  11. T

    High Voltage Amplifier and Frequency Divider

    Hello everyone, I could not find the solution for my problems by searching the forums. Thus I am writing them here so would you guys please help me. There are two problems but it is not good to create two topics for this so I combine them here: 1. High Voltage Amplifier: We often work...
  12. T

    Measuring High Voltage with Influence

    Hi! I am looking for a way to measure the voltage on a Kelvin Water Dropper that I've built. This is quite problematic since the charge is small and the voltage is high. The only way to do it, as it seems to me, is to measure by influence. Any suggestions?
  13. JJBladester

    Working on high voltage power lines

    Homework Statement We know that current will flow whenever there is a potential difference. Sometimes when there are problems with high voltage lines - workers must work on them 'live' (not shut down). How do the workers manage to work on the wires without getting electrocuted by the high...
  14. P

    Reduce 5kV DC 100x - Is it Possible?

    Is there any circuit which can reduce voltage hundred times (100x), i got 5kV DC and my plan is to low that 100x and measure with multimeter. Is that possible?
  15. T

    Can activated carbon be used to create a high voltage DC electroscope?

    Happy holidays everyone! I'm searching how to produce high voltage, high current DC electricity to be used for statically charging a giant electroscope. The explanation why is very elaborate, so to put it simply, I need to energize a giant electroscope. I have limited electrical...
  16. R

    Electromagntic fields in a high voltage line

    Hello, i actually more natural with spanish, so sorry if any words are bad writed. I come for help, I am trying to simulate electromagnetic fields in high voltage transsmision lines, i need a code that simulate it. If any of you have a code, or know of a program that do the job i will apreciate...
  17. W

    How to get high voltage but NO amps

    hi everyone I am new here and no nothing about physics. with that being said, what would you do in order to run over 96V but get no amps or get very little amps...
  18. B

    How Close Do You Need to Be to High Voltage Power Lines to Induce Current?

    I have a physics question that I'm hoping someone has enough free time and is intrigued enough to figure out for me! My sister just bought a house which is near some high voltage power lines. I've heard that people living near these types of lines can sometimes induce a current in wires...
  19. J

    Why is a high voltage 750 miliamps

    why is a high voltage 750 miliamps fuse rated as 5 KV and not as 250 volts
  20. L

    High voltage spark and air compression

    Honestly I do not think automotive techs would know the answer to this question so being said from a physics stand point about the relationship between the high voltage spark on a spark plug and compression in a engine. I have had experiances where there was spark on the plugs but the engine...
  21. A

    High Voltage Module for Capacitor Charging

    I just ordered a DC to HV DC converter (the F40 model, datasheet here: http://www.emcohighvoltage.com/Fseries.PDF ) from eBay for $50. My intent is to charge capacitors such at the 400V 12,000uF one located here http://www.amazing1.com/capacitors.htm. The converter has output up to 4,000V...
  22. O

    Exploring the Physics of High Voltage Short Circuits

    hallo, what is the reason for sparks once i have a high voltage short circuit? Thanks, Omri
  23. I

    Advantage of High Voltage Electricity Transmission

    I'm supposed to write a brief essay response to this question on my unit exam, and I don't exactly understand it. Please explain it to me, and then I can appropriately write the short essay. Thanks! Homework Statement "The energy companies use step-up transformers to send high voltage...
  24. R

    Superconductors and high voltage

    I have an idea to build a electromagnet out of superconducting wire out of the Tl2Ba4Ca2Cu10Ox superconductor discovered earlier this year that's superconducting at 40 degrees below zero in Fahrenheit and I'm wanting to supply 1 million volts or a little more to it and see what happens. and...
  25. U

    Why needs plate capacitor high voltage

    Hi, I tried to charche a plate capacitor with some 20 Volts but when disconnecting the cables from DC supply the voltage goes down to zero. Why is this? Cables too long? Didnt I wait enough or does a plate cap need high voltage (5000 Volts) and why does it? I am a theoretical physicist and have...
  26. DaTario

    High Voltage to bring electricity to the cities

    Hi All, Is there a simple explanation for the fact that in power stations (where electric energy is created) the voltage applied to the conducting wires, which will carry the energy to the city, is much higher than 110 V ? Thank you all Best Wishes DaTario
  27. D

    Can Water Be Controlled by High Voltage?

    Hi, I am currently investigating stream of water under high voltage. My setup is using two aluminium plates connected to high voltage power supply with a burette running water between two plates. I found out that the water stream only deflects to one polarity ( i.e. positive/ negative ONLY )...
  28. M

    OP07 Op Amp Output Unexpectedly High Voltage

    When I connect 3V negative and 3V postive power supply to an OP07 op amp and I Connect a voltmeter to OUT of op amp and GROUND the voltmeter shows -1.8 volts why? I have connected anything to input I even tried shoring the input and this voltage is too high to be offset voltage. I Tried two...
  29. Y

    Electrical bonding in high voltage line maintenance

    Electrical "bonding" in high voltage line maintenance Consider a high voltage line worker about to exit a helicopter on to a high voltage "live" line, as in this video : As the helicopter approaches the HV line, the worker holds out a conducting rod. I am led to believe this is to...
  30. D

    How does high voltage decrease energy loss in a wire

    If you raise the voltage you must raise either the current or the resistance since V = IR. So how does a wire with higher voltage and lower current have less resistance? It should have more resistance to make up for the lower current.
  31. I

    What Voltage is Required for Efficient Hydrogen Production through Electrolysis?

    I'm working on building an electrolysis device in hopes of creating a healthy supply of hydrogen. I tried building a high voltage DC to DC upcoverter based on a tutorial found on http://www.instructables.com/" With the new transistor, I was able to feed 5v from a computer psu without...
  32. M

    High Voltage Switching: Trigger 120V Coil with Tiny Magnetic Reader

    If I'm using a weak signal like from a tiny magnetic reader, how do I get it to trigger a 120 volt coil?. What electronic hardware do I need to wire in between? Or what type of switch can do this? Thanks.
  33. G

    Find High Voltage Power Supply on a Budget

    Hi guys, I have been wanting to many electrical experiments over the last few years that need a high voltage power supply, till now I havnt found one suitable for me and thus wondering if anyone here on the PF has any suggestions. I don't exactly have a large budget, In fairness I would like to...
  34. W

    Which way does a high voltage spark jump?

    Hello All! Quick question... When a high voltage capacitor is charged to say 3000 volts, a spark will jump across the terminals. Does the spark jump from the positive to negative terminal, or from negative to positive? Thanks Very Much! Bill
  35. T

    Can a High Voltage Magnetic Field Affect My Low Voltage Electronic System?

    Good day every one, My name is Thebe and I like to play around with low voltage electronic devices, currently I have an electronic system that I am trying to build on 24 volts but the problem is that some of the wires in my circuit must run next to a very high voltage cable so I am concern...
  36. R

    High Voltage DC Power Indicator

    I have a 20kVDC pulse flowing to an igniter. 2500 pulses per minute. I want to know if it is possible to use the high voltage pulses of DC to induce sufficient voltage in a coil wrapped around the power cable (through which the current is flowing) to energize an LED (in synch with the pulses)...
  37. E

    Measure High Voltage using Coil Inductor

    Hi everybody, I need to indirectly measure the high voltage across a wire, which is one of the leads to a spark gap. I ran the wire through a coil inductor(air core) and measured the voltage across the coil leads with an oscilloscope when i get the spark. I also connected a resistor in series...
  38. S

    Could fusion be generated with very high voltage?

    Could fusion be generated with very high voltage?? Using a Van De Graaff (VDG) machine, we can easily generate million-volt high voltage. The high potential difference can be generated effectively with minimum energy supplied to the machine. The larger the volume of the machine would be, the...
  39. S

    Fusion or not with Van De Graaff machine and very high voltage

    Using a Van De Graaff (VDG) machine, we can easily generate million-volt high voltage. The high potential difference can be generated effectively with minimum energy supplied to the machine. The larger the volume of the machine would be, the higher the voltage could get. However, stability would...
  40. W

    High voltage power transmission?

    Okay I have a question for you engineer types. I teach a little high school physics and something has struck me as slightly odd in what they get taught. They learn about transformers and are told that a major application of them is in electrical power transmission. They are told that since the...
  41. S

    High Voltage NST - Playing with the Frequency

    When I plug my NST into the wall at 60 Hz, I've been told a 120 Hz AC current comes out of my NST. What happens if I modulate the input frequency with a function generator to the transformer?
  42. F

    How do i do high voltage frequency?

    how do i do high voltage frequency? i have been working with a 555 timer but i want to do a square wave 100 to 300 khz at up to 100 volts and 3-6 amps so i need something much larger any recomendations? thanks
  43. P

    High voltage electromachinery - the key to absurdly high power to weight ratios?

    I've recently become very interested in designing efficient motors and alternators for use in a gas turbine hybrid electric vehicle. I feel that these designs may be able to achieve uniquely high power to weight ratios compared to the components in commercially available hybrid electric...
  44. J

    Can a Single Chip Handle High Voltage DC Bias for Experimental Use?

    Hello All, I'm now looking for yet another component for my experiments. I was doing some research into DC boost converters to figure out how to build my own (they seem pretty simple to make). I want to make one that can be programmed from a microcontroller to put out variable voltages from...
  45. C

    How Can I Create a High Voltage Arc with Capacitors and Transformers?

    so I need to construct a device that creates a high voltage arc for an experiment, unfortunatly I don't know how to amplify the voltage without a series of transformers. I believe there is a way of doing this with a few capacitors, and right now I have about a dozen 12 MFD capacitors, and a...
  46. S

    Clarification on Transformers - High voltage transmission

    I seem to understand transformers very well, but one aspect of stepping up voltage for transmission is confusing me. I'm sure it is a very small oversight on my part. In an ordinary electric circuit, when the voltage is increased, keeping the load resistance the same, the amount of current...
  47. M

    High voltage, low amperage, large amount of power

    how do you minimize resistance on a power line if there is a large amount voltage and low amperage being sent through it to a house and the house ends up with a lot of power? :uhh:
  48. L

    Experiment with high voltage that can show arcs / stun human

    I'm very interested in Experiment with high voltage that can show arcs. I also like to modify my swatter ( electric racket to kill mosquito/ flies), it is made in china. About the swatter: -It has only one diode at the secondary winding of the trafo, ithink this is for rectifying the ac...
  49. J

    High voltage batteries, not 2V per cell

    Most batteries have a low voltage output like a lead acid +- 2.2V per cell And carbon + zinc have something like 1.5V and so it goes on. Can a battery have a high output voltage without putting it in series Example: I want a battery with 100V DC output per cell, does that exist or not...
  50. S

    If water is exposed to high voltage, it will ionize.

    if water is exposed to high voltage, it will ionize. What is the minimum voltage needed for that to happen? Thanks!
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