CD Wimshurst Machine

Wimshurst machine made from 2 CD blanks, some parts from a dismantled CD player, coathanger and some household odds and sods - all in a wet Sunday afternoon.
Sparks are upto 20mm long, not bad for an afternoons build on the "kitchen table"!
See www.xionone.co.uk for more info'.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Static
• electric
• electricity
• wimshurst
• CD
• sunday afternoon
• sparks
• lightning
• electrostatic
• discharges
• jacobs
• ladder
• science
• project
• corona
• st
• elmos
• fire

[xiononee]

Yes, that can be done and there is a website that has done so, can't remeber where though. The problem is that CD drive motors are variable speed brushless (an electronic microcontroller provides speed control) so the drive chips have to have control inputs to set the speed - bit too fiddly without some electronic test equipment ('scope etc').

[oaney]

so with a spark gap of 2cm we can assume you are producing roughly 60K volts albeit very low current?

[xiononee]

@oaney Very hard to say what the voltage is since once the air breaks down at 10/20K + it becomes conductive and you get 'feelers' of plasma coming off the electrodes, see images on large 'feelers' on my website (xionone.co.uk) - yes a VERY low current, microamps at best!

[xiononee]

I have put some info on my website: xionone.co.uk

[xiononee]

Sorry, em machines are in my past now.

[ingeniero3aleman]

why cant you use 2 CD drives motors ?

[patelprincess1995]

how did you make this?



[marckusanton]

puedes ser mas explicito en tu video

[JNA43868]

Are the brushes connected to the electrodes?

[legoj223]

what are the little plates in the wheels

and the wires