Obscure high power electronic device,what is it?

[ARMANDO]

This device came out of a scanning electron microscope.
on the case it say's HIGH Voltage & variable emission,
the components look like 70"s era.
it was connected to the electron beam generator on the microscope.
So my guess is that it switches the variable output to the
beam gun. but what's inside those red blocks?
each one connects to the next one in series through the big connectors
near the tops of the red blocks. they also all connect to a heavy circuit board at the bottom.
on the control panel there was a power selection module with 5 setting's (30KV, 20KV, 10KV, 5KV, 2.5KV)
So maybe each red block doubles the voltage? how?

Does anyone Know more about this thing?
whats in the red blocks?
can I use it to maybe make a spot welder?

 

[(*steve*)]

This is a very high voltage low current device.

A spot welder is a low voltage high current device.

Those red blocks, if they are voltage doublers, are unlikely to be the sort of thing you can use backwards.

 

[ARMANDO]

Thank you Steve,

I'd like to know more about this device.
like whats inside those red blocks
why were they covered in some transparent jelly like substance?

 

[(*steve*)]

In answer to the second part: Insulation

 

[Gryd3]

Thank you Steve,

I'd like to know more about this device.
like whats inside those red blocks
why were they covered in some transparent jelly like substance?

High voltages 'arc' and can jump across gaps. Proper insulation protects against that.
The insides could be a simple voltage multiplier consisting of diodes and capacitors or could be something else. Hard to tell... In any case, this is not something I would encourage playing with. Those voltages are down-right nasty.

 

[Sunnysky]

a transformer and your doubler circuit

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greinacher_circuit.svg

 

[duke37]

The scanning electron microscope I used to play with was energised with EL34 valves so this one is new.

The circuit is almost certainly a voltage multiplier so the red blocks could be capacitors or rectifiers. If they are rectifiers, they will have several diodes in series and will need a considerable voltage to turn them on.

An alternative circuit could be a series of DC supplies connected together. The blocks then would be transformers and rectifiers.

The block closest to the camera has a transformer in it and could be the filament isolation transformer. It will be driven with a high frequency and the core looks like a TV line transformer core.

The instrument I had had a hissy fit and produced sparks all around the front panel even though it was screwed to the cabinet. The off button was in the middle of this panel so it was turned off with a wooden stick. The fault was a wire shorting to the chassis due to punctured insulation.

 

[Fish4Fun]

Would make a FABULOUS Tesla-Type Arc generator ;-)

30kV is a lot of potential voltage.....use EXTREME CARE if you decide to "play" with it.....and make sure you are not anywhere near wires (ie power lines in the walls....cat-5 cables, antenna wires etc, etc) if you power this thing up almost any conductor can become a transformer.....and if the humidity is high enough it could "spark" (arc) several feet....

Have Fun!

Fish

 

[ARMANDO]

Thank you Duke37 and Fish4fun,
For showing a little more enthusiasm than Steve, yeah so I got a lot of cool stuff out of this electron microscope wondering what I could do with some of the stuff I have this huge Transformer, a variac a regulated power supply lots of components. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.
,

 

[HellasTechn]

This device came out of a scanning electron microscope.
on the case it say's HIGH Voltage & variable emission,
the components look like 70"s era.
it was connected to the electron beam generator on the microscope.
So my guess is that it switches the variable output to the
beam gun. but what's inside those red blocks?
each one connects to the next one in series through the big connectors
near the tops of the red blocks. they also all connect to a heavy circuit board at the bottom.
on the control panel there was a power selection module with 5 setting's (30KV, 20KV, 10KV, 5KV, 2.5KV)
So maybe each red block doubles the voltage? how?

Does anyone Know more about this thing?
whats in the red blocks?
can I use it to maybe make a spot welder?
View attachment 28289 View attachment 28287 View attachment 28290 View attachment 28291

I am almost certain that this was build in the USA and most likely around the 80's. The PCB the components and connectors resembles alot devices i have seen in older US ships

 

[Sunnysky]

Yes late 80's , the PSU and unit will have date codes with their S/N's
Made in California during the Silicon Valley era.

 

[HellasTechn]

Yes late 80's , the PSU and unit will have date codes with their S/N's
Made in California during the Silicon Valley era.

Build to last for ever. I love the electronics they used to buld !

 

[ARMANDO]

Hay thanks for the comments HellasTechn,and Sunnysky.

Do you guys have any cool ideas on what can be made with this stuff.
For instance I would like to know if an oscilloscope can be made with one of the three
CRT screens that were on this thing.
Maybe there's a scope driver (wave generator) in here somewhere?