High Power DC Electromagnet

[wide_eyed_wizard]

Hi, I'm new here to this site.

I'm looking into constructing a powerful DC electromagnet. Basically I want to take a common 9V battery and use (an unspecified) NPN transistor to increase the current and voltage output.

I've heard that running such a powerful DC electromagnet in the long run can be dangerous (I'm guessing because of the risk of fire/overheating because it's similar to basically like putting a wire from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of a battery (sorry for lack of better terminology).

Because of the risk, I've read it's best to only run the electromagnet for short periods of time.

Since I want to run the electromagnet long-term, but intermitantly, I thought I should connect a somewhat powerful capacitor between the transistor output and the electromagnet, that way it will only power the electromagnet in short bursts.

Some of the unknowns though (leading to my question), is how long it might be safe to power the electromagnet (I know this depends on variables such as voltage, current, etc.) without causing overheating and other dangers.

I am still new to electronics, and am hoping someone can give me some pointers or even some exact values of the transistor/capacitor, and even the wire gauge/# of coils/diameter of ferromagnetic coil.

Any input would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul.

 

[(*steve*)]

several issues:

1) A common 9V battery (type 216 battery?) won't be able to supply enough power for more than a pretty dinky electromagnet.

2) You can't increase current and voltage. You can increase one by reducing the other, but to increase both is to create power out of nowhere.

3) a small 9V battery probably won't be able to provide enough power to do more than slightly warm anything up. For a larger power source, yes this is a concern (heating)

4) Capacitors don't work that way. You would need more circuitry than just a capacitor.

Perhaps you can tell us what you want to do with this so we have some idea of how powerful an electromagnet you require?

 

[Raven Luni]

If you want something that will work in (very) short bursts you could something simple like a joule thief connected to a zener diode with a large capacitor across it. This is part of an idea I had for one of those insect frying devices. I cant see how youd get anything more than a short blast of useful current out of that though.

 

[wide_eyed_wizard]

Thanks for your reply. That information already helps a lot. My desire is to bombard an area with intense EMF. It's not to destroy electronic circuits, like a weapon like EMP. I'm am slowly learning electronics out of interests in both robotics and the paranormal. In the paranormal field, one theory is that spirits can take energy out of the "air" to manifest in more powerful ways.

I know many are skeptics, and have no interest in discussing the veracity of these theories.

Basically I want to create a high EMF field that is still at safe level to coexist with other running electronics (possibly by adding a variable resistor to the device). In abandoned or "safe areas" (areas nowhere close to anyone's electrical devices), I want to turn up the intensity of the "EM Pump" and bombard the area with even stronger EMF.

I am aware of side effects produced by EMF on the human body and want to safely produce them and know a safe distance to be from the output. I have already gotten headaches from weaker versions of such devices.

Again, any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Paul

 

[(*steve*)]

Huge magnetic fields (such as what you might get from a *very fancy* electromagnet) tend to be pretty harmless to living things.

The exception is if you have a pacemaker or any metallic implants (a high enough magnetic field can disrupt the former and literally pull the latter from your body.

You're unlikely to hit any of those levels unless you have a large supply of cryogenic material.

All I can suggest is that if you're planning to set up a "ghostbusters" office, that you get an appropriate hazardous materials permit to handle all that ektoplasm. Oh, and keep away from women who levitate above their beds.

Speaking of levitation, magnetic levitation of mice is pretty cool.

 

[wide_eyed_wizard]

Huge magnetic fields (such as what you might get from a *very fancy* electromagnet) tend to be pretty harmless to living things.

The exception is if you have a pacemaker or any metallic implants (a high enough magnetic field can disrupt the former and literally pull the latter from your body.

You're unlikely to hit any of those levels unless you have a large supply of cryogenic material.

All I can suggest is that if you're planning to set up a "ghostbusters" office, that you get an appropriate hazardous materials permit to handle all that ektoplasm. Oh, and keep away from women who levitate above their beds.

Speaking of levitation, magnetic levitation of mice is pretty cool.

lol @ "hazardous materials permit"

Another thing I've contemplated is building an AC powered electromagnet. I've found references in a book I've been skimming, but no direct directions etc. It sounds a bit dangerous....any input on that?

The EM Pump I've made so far is based off pre-existing ideas I found off of youtube. It consists of a powerful permanent magnet glued to a 12V ~.2 A computer fan. All I know is that when the fan spins, somehow the rotating permanent magnet interacts with the coils in the motor of the fan (I guess because they are alternating polarity) and it creates a more powerful EMF. Why it does so I don't fully understand. Is it due to the periodic magnetic poles opposing each other?

 

[(*steve*)]

An awful lot of what you see on youtube of this nature is crackpot physics.

It is intended that you don't fully understand, because if you did you would see through the scam. (Either that or the author doesn't fully understand -- or want to)

Point us at the youtube video and we'll get back to you with something (it may be giggles).

edit: "AC electormagnet" is the starting point for a transformer. It's only dangerous in that the most readily available source of AC for most people is their mains power. And that is dangerous because it can supply large currents at a dangerous voltage. A similar DC power supply (say 12 car batteries in series) would be just as (if not more) dangerous.

 

[wide_eyed_wizard]

here is one of many similar designs:

 

[GonzoEngineer]

Thanks for your reply. That information already helps a lot. My desire is to bombard an area with intense EMF. It's not to destroy electronic circuits, like a weapon like EMP. I'm am slowly learning electronics out of interests in both robotics and the paranormal. In the paranormal field, one theory is that spirits can take energy out of the "air" to manifest in more powerful ways.

I know many are skeptics, and have no interest in discussing the veracity of these theories.

Basically I want to create a high EMF field that is still at safe level to coexist with other running electronics (possibly by adding a variable resistor to the device). In abandoned or "safe areas" (areas nowhere close to anyone's electrical devices), I want to turn up the intensity of the "EM Pump" and bombard the area with even stronger EMF.

I am aware of side effects produced by EMF on the human body and want to safely produce them and know a safe distance to be from the output. I have already gotten headaches from weaker versions of such devices.

Again, any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Paul

Are you kidding?.....stick with 9 volt batteries! (we need a LMAO smiley!)

 

[GonzoEngineer]

This thread reminds me of a couple of hippies I met in Taos New Mexico

One wanted to build Ozone Generators to promote good health.

The other one wanted to build Ozone detectors to protect you from the bad ozone!

They were both idiots, like most hippies......HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[GonzoEngineer]

Hi, I'm new here to this site.

I'm looking into constructing a powerful DC electromagnet. Basically I want to take a common 9V battery and use (an unspecified) NPN transistor to increase the current and voltage output.

I've heard that running such a powerful DC electromagnet in the long run can be dangerous (I'm guessing because of the risk of fire/overheating because it's similar to basically like putting a wire from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of a battery (sorry for lack of better terminology).

Because of the risk, I've read it's best to only run the electromagnet for short periods of time.

Since I want to run the electromagnet long-term, but intermitantly, I thought I should connect a somewhat powerful capacitor between the transistor output and the electromagnet, that way it will only power the electromagnet in short bursts.

Some of the unknowns though (leading to my question), is how long it might be safe to power the electromagnet (I know this depends on variables such as voltage, current, etc.) without causing overheating and other dangers.

I am still new to electronics, and am hoping someone can give me some pointers or even some exact values of the transistor/capacitor, and even the wire gauge/# of coils/diameter of ferromagnetic coil.

Any input would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul.

You don't need an alectromagnet.....you just need a crystal to concentrate the energy!

 

[(*steve*)]

Wide eyed wizard, it's not going to hurt anything, but it's not going to do pretty much anything.

Sure is will create a fluctuating magnetic field, but a pretty tiny one -- or more accurately a pretty weak one)

That video is a perfect example of how *NOT* to use LEDs by the way.

 

[BobK]

wide_eyed_wizzard,

And MRI will expose you to magnetic fields that you will never achieve with anything you build. I have had several and I am not dead yet.

Bob

 

[BobK]

several issues:

1) A common 9V battery (type 216 battery?) won't be able to supply enough power for more than a pretty dinky electromagnet.

2) You can't increase current and voltage. You can increase one by reducing the other, but to increase both is to create power out of nowhere.

3) a small 9V battery probably won't be able to provide enough power to do more than slightly warm anything up. For a larger power source, yes this is a concern (heating)

4) Capacitors don't work that way. You would need more circuitry than just a capacitor.

Perhaps you can tell us what you want to do with this so we have some idea of how powerful an electromagnet you require?

A nitpick:

You can increase power by charging a capacitor and then releasing all the energy more quickly than the battery can. What you cannot increase is energy.

(power = envery / time)


Bob

 

[BobK]

This thread reminds me of a couple of hippies I met in Taos New Mexico

One wanted to build Ozone Generators to promote good health.

The other one wanted to build Ozone detectors to protect you from the bad ozone!

They were both idiots, like most hippies......HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I believe it was Sharper Image or Brookstone who actually sold (maybe they still do) a device that produced ozone and directed it under you nose to sterilize the air you breath.

Unbelievable what New Agers (haven't been hippies for about 40 years) would buy.

Bob

 

[BobK]

One more thing w-e-w,

As you can see, wel all think EMF are not dangerous to people or other animals and plants. But I happen to know that strong mangetic fields are DEADLY to ghosts, none has ever survived even a minimal exposure. So please be very careful!

Bob

 

[architect]

This thread reminds me of a couple of hippies I met in Taos New Mexico

One wanted to build Ozone Generators to promote good health.

The other one wanted to build Ozone detectors to protect you from the bad ozone!

They were both idiots, like most hippies......HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

the way I had it explained to me, was that ozone was a result of over saturation of the atmospheric gases, but the intended reason for saturation was not to create ozone but to make a bunch of negatively charged particles to match the earth ground, and cause this to neutralize the positive charge on dust, forcing it to collect on the ground by becoming heavier and non resistant to the earth ground. (which I am guessing it is supposed that the earth is also positively charged, causing it normally to be repelled) who knows though. I just know a heavily negatively charged heat sink infront of a fan collects a lot more dust than one with no charge, or one with a heavy positive charge (heavy=high voltage)

 

[architect]

as for ghost hunting, I see it as frivolous as hunting for evidence that proves or disproves the existence of a creative entity of our universe. Such evidence is most likely going to require technology that is just not feasible to build or use inside our universe. and the amount of value from any results will be just of no use to anyone really. especially since those of any religion, (that includes atheists as they BELIEVE that god does not exist purely on the circumstantial evidence of no evidence supporting the existence) will not easily be swayed, and all this is just a process that divides the human race up making it hard to accomplish really useful goals like energy development, or space exploration.