Powered oscillator using ignitron switches

P D Nonn1, A P Blair, K J McCollam

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.

Related Concept Videos

Design Example: Automobile Ignition System01:14

Design Example: Automobile Ignition System

The automobile's ignition system plays a vital role by ensuring the timely ignition of the fuel-air mixture in each cylinder. This ignition is facilitated by a spark plug, which is composed of two electrodes separated by an air gap. A spark forms across this air gap when a substantial voltage is generated between the electrodes, leading to the ignition of the fuel.
One can generate a large voltage using a car battery of 12 volts with the help of inductors. Inductors are known for opposing rapid...
Voltage Doubler Circuit01:23

Voltage Doubler Circuit

A voltage doubler circuit integrates two main components: a clamping section and a rectifier section. The clamping section consists of a capacitor (C1) and a diode (D1), whereas the rectifier section is equipped with another diode (D2) and capacitor (C2). This circuit produces an output voltage with twice the amplitude of the sinusoidal input voltage.
Generator Voltage Control01:21

Generator Voltage Control

Generator voltage control is crucial for maintaining the stable operation of synchronous generators and wind turbines. In older models, a DC generator driven by the rotor delivers DC power to the rotor's field winding, and the power is transferred through slip rings and brushes. In the latest models, static or brushless exciters are used. Static exciters rectify AC power from the generator terminals and then transfer the DC power directly to the rotor. Brushless exciters, on the other hand, use...
Electric Generator: Alternator01:25

Electric Generator: Alternator

Electric generators induce an emf by rotating a coil in a magnetic field. A simple alternator is an AC generator that creates electrical energy that varies sinusoidally with time. A simple alternator consists of a conducting loop that is placed inside a uniform magnetic field. The loop is connected to split rings connected to the external circuit with the help of brushes.
The magnetic flux passing through the coil varies sinusoidally as the loop rotates inside the magnetic field. This...
Oscillations In An LC Circuit01:30

Oscillations In An LC Circuit

An idealized LC circuit of zero resistance can oscillate without any source of emf by shifting the energy stored in the circuit between the electric and magnetic fields. In such an LC circuit, if the capacitor contains a charge q before the switch is closed, then all the energy of the circuit is initially stored in the electric field of the capacitor. This energy is given by
Applications of RC Circuits01:22

Applications of RC Circuits

A relaxation oscillator is one of the applications of RC circuits. A neon lamp relaxation oscillator comprises a capacitor, a resistor, a voltage source, and a lamp. The lamp acts like an open circuit, with infinite resistance until the potential difference across the lamp reaches a specific voltage. At that voltage, the lamp acts like a short circuit with zero resistance, and the capacitor discharges through the lamp, thus producing light. Once the capacitor is fully discharged through the...