Reduce 5kV DC 100x - Is it Possible?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of reducing a 5kV DC voltage by a factor of 100 for measurement purposes, exploring potential circuits and safety considerations. The scope includes theoretical circuit design and practical applications related to high voltage measurement.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the possibility of reducing 5kV DC voltage by 100 times for measurement with a multimeter.
  • Another participant suggests using a voltage divider, specifically mentioning its application as an EHT probe, and notes the availability of commercial options.
  • A different participant warns against constructing a homemade voltage divider, emphasizing that merely selecting the correct resistor ratio is insufficient for safety.
  • Another participant agrees with the recommendation to use a commercially available high voltage probe for safety, providing a link to a specific product.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the safety and feasibility of constructing a homemade voltage divider, with some advocating for commercial solutions while others suggest DIY options may exist.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not fully resolve the safety concerns associated with homemade circuits, and there are no detailed specifications or calculations provided regarding the design of a voltage divider for this application.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in high voltage measurement techniques, circuit design, and safety considerations in electrical engineering.

Pyro.man
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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?
 
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Yes, there is. It is called a voltage divider and uses resistors in series to reduce the voltage.
Used like this, it is sometimes called an EHT probe.

You can probably buy them commercially and this may be worth checking.

Constructing one that could be used safely may be difficult.

However, there are articles on Google that suggest you could make your own.
http://images.google.com/images?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&=&q=eht probe&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...&safe=off&sa=N&um=1&ei=hutNS9-TGY7c7AP2r6HyCw
 
I will look for this on web
thx 4 clue
 
Don't try to make your own. Merely choosing the right nominal ratio of resistors is not good enough.
 
Pyro.man said:
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?

I agree with sophie -- it's much safer to just get a high voltage probe for your DVM. This one is from Fluke, but you can also find others:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Cat=2294779&k=PR%2028A-ND

.
 

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