Mini Box CFL Light

This is my 555 timer CFL light put into a small self-contained box. It is a mobile unit that can be charged up and used anywhere. This latest effort is a contiuation of the Imhotep Radiant Oscillator project going on at the Energetic Forum

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Imhotep
• radiant
• oscillator
• replication

[Careica]

Very good! So you are not after free energy?

[Lidmotor]

I get the free energy from the sun. But then the solar panel wasn't free. So there is the rub. However I did rescue a solar panel out of a trash bin once and fixed it. I guess that would make it free free energy. LOL

[Lidmotor]

I like these solid state charging circuits but you are right about them being tricky to get working right. Spinning magnets are alot easier and maybe more fun.

[smokkapi]

@Careica

there's no such thing as free energy.

energy can only be transferred from one form to another ;)

[Drevtoobe]

Anyway, it has me wondering about pure low frequency pulse circuit mode vs. your setups which are all running at around 1 KHz or higher, and taking advantage of the self-sustaining burning plasma effect.

From my limited perspective, it looks like the low-frequency chattering relay was a true pulse mode implementation, but the 555 + transistor implementation has only been demonstrated at high frequencies, perhaps it croaks at low frequencies?

Food for thought.

[Drevtoobe]

Normally CFLs start with a larger higher voltage pulse to 'kick' them on and fire the first burn. Then the pulse voltage is lowered and you keep the burns alive, one burn blending into the other, at a lower average current, hence lower power.

That is why I referred to the original Imhotep relay oscillator circuit as a 'brute force' circuit; every pulse from the ignition coil looks like it is strong enough to fire a first burn. i.e.; what I referred to as pure pulse circuit mode.

[Drevtoobe]

The first Imhotep relay oscillator circuit looked like a pure 'brute force' way to light the CFL. The ignition coil seemingly lit the CFL at a relatively low relay oscillation freq. Hence I assumed that the burns can be fired at a very low freq, like 75 Hz.

This may be the case, but I did notice that a standard CFL circuit (what you rip out) runs at a high frequency, around 40 KHz. At higher freq the hot plasma is still existent when the next pulse arrives, facilitating the next burn.

[Drevtoobe]

Either way, the amount of energy in the burn would be proportional to the transistor on time.

CFLs are just big neons, and operate the same way: Once you have a burn going, the voltage across the CFL is clamped to the burn voltage, and increasing the current will make the burn brighter, but not change the voltage across the CFL. The voltage across a resistor always increases with increasing current. Hence neons and CFLs act like 'non-linear resistors' when they are on.

[Drevtoobe]

Hey Lidmotor, are you going to make a 'Dr. Evil' Box to compliment the Mini Box? lol

Since you are 'De Man' when it comes to the Imhotep 555 circuit, just a few thoughts:

I mentioned the 'burn' would start when the transistor switches on. This assumes that the coil HV output is high enough to ignite the CFL bulb. If I am wrong, and there is no burn, then the coil would be charging when the transistor in on. When the transistor switches off, then you get a spike, which should generate a burn

[ipariah]

alot more fun but good job on the 555