Need help with "static electricity generator".

[rino757]

So I originally tried to build a van de graff generator, that didn't work out so well.
In the end, I settled on this project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGx83KppSCQ&feature=youtu.be

"Negative ion generators" seem to just be high-voltage generators with the price marked up by a lot, and they are harder to find on the internet, so I bought this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Boost-Step-...874?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258c1a29fa

I have my switch, an adapter for x2 AAA batteries, and some wiring + heat-shrink tubing. The high-voltage generator will arive in a few days, but I still don't exactly understand how I would hook up the two output wires. I plan to follow the exact same setup as the guy in the video, but he talks about a ground wire and the high voltage out put. As far as I know, all I'll have on the generator will be + and - terminals. How would I hook up the positive and negative wires to achieve the same effect as the guy in the video?

Also, there was a high-voltage generator that went from ~3-6v to 400,000v. Would that have been better to buy?

[max666]

Didn't you read the warning?! "I show how it's made to educate and entertain, not to replicate" (just kidding  )

But to be serious here, these experiments are potentially dangerous, especially since your ebay link is broken and we have no idea what high-voltage generator you are actually trying to use!
I don't want to discourage you, but I have a feeling you may be young and don't have the necessary experience jet to keep yourself save around high voltages. So please be cautious and keep in mind that you probably don't know all the dangers of high voltages.

And regarding your project it depends on how the outputs of your high-voltage generator are referenced, there are several different possibilities and I don't want to list them all. Assuming you're using a 'save' high-voltage generator, it would probably work pretty much regardless how you wire it, but worst case scenario would be that you shock yourself every time you're turning your device on/off or kill your high-voltage generator. So more info on the high-voltage generator would be helpful.

PS: Every "Negative ion generator" needs a high-voltage generator, but not every high-voltage generator is a "Negative ion generator"

[rino757]

Thanks I probably copy and pasted the link wrong.
Here's the working one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/161264314874?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I'm making sure to keep things safe (don't wanna get shocked too bad) haha.

My dad is helping me out and making sure nothing bad happens, I just don't want to use up too much of his time.
(He works at the microscopy lab in Princeton University, I think I can trust him to tell me if I'm doing something dangerous)

[max666]

Yes, that thing should be save 

It doesn't say explicitly, but I'm pretty sure the outputs are entirely isolated, which means you can connect them however you like. I would also connect the white wire from the input to the pad that's connected to your body/ankle. That's what the dude in the video was talking about. This way the input circuit is referenced to your body and primarily serves as protection for the input circuitry of the module.
The results may vary a little whether you connect yourself to positive or negative, but you can check if that's the case by swapping the outputs.

Note: the ebay description mentions that the module shouldn't be running with no load, so if you fire it up during testing just make sure to have a spark gap < 7 mm. If you have it connected to your body, like in your project, there should be enough parasitic discharge path to provide enough loading (I’m guessing)

Have fun.
I'm already feeling for your friends and family, I hope you're not going to annoy them too much 

[rino757]

Sorry, could you give an example of a parasitic discharge path? I don't have a clue what that means and Google isn't helping.

The main usage of the device will be for my physics class (we're currently learning about electrical charges).
Of course, the fun won't be limited to the classroom.

[max666]

Well, I'm not an expert on these things, but when I say parasitic discharge path I mean things like:
- Surface leakage: moisture and dirt create a weakly conductive film on isolator surfaces. Partly the reason why insulators are formed to maximise the creepage length http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_insulation
- Corona discharge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_discharge
- natural ionising radiation constantly creates very few charged particles in the air, which discharge charged surfaces

And because your high-voltage generator is a very high impedance source (that's a good thing, because that makes it save to handle), it doesn't take much to load it down. If we take the claimed 7 KV and 10 µA, we can estimate a source impedance of about 700 MOhm. So even paths with a resistance in the order of giga ohms have to be considered a "load" for your high-voltage generator.

[rino757]

Oh, so like the strap he puts on his foot. Thanks Forums are a wonderful thing !

[naik10bhushan]

hey. i am working on the same project. just wanted to ask did the high-voltage generators work instead of the negative ion generator? i am buying this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-3-6v-6v-to-400kV-400000V-Boost-Step-up-Power-Module-High-voltage-Generator/141998596640?_trksid=p2054436.c100039.m2059&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140107094819%26meid%3D5598a85158824030a4691f3e10858633%26pid%3D100039%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D141678746182