Need a spark

P

Poxy

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I need to generate a spark to ignite butane - I've been using a piezo
barbeque lighter, which works well, but now I need to automate the ignition.
I tried using an Oatley plasma display board based around a TV flyback
transformer, but the spark, which will only occur when the gap is about 2mm,
seems too small to ignite the gas consistently.

I only need one strong spark - does anyone know of anything suitable?
 
get a 240v to 3v ac adaptor, gut the unit for the transformer.

with 1.5 - 3 volt as a source connected to the 3v side, everytime the
source is disconnected (with a relay) you should get a spark at the
other end if the terminals are close enough, want more spark, use higher
voltage at the low voltage end (3v will give 240 9v will give ~600 etc)
 
Matt2 - Amstereo wrote:
get a 240v to 3v ac adaptor, gut the unit for the transformer.

with 1.5 - 3 volt as a source connected to the 3v side, everytime the
source is disconnected (with a relay) you should get a spark at the
other end if the terminals are close enough, want more spark, use
higher voltage at the low voltage end (3v will give 240 9v will give
~600 etc)
Click to expand...
Cheers for the suggestion, but I don't think that magnitude of voltage is
enough to make a spark jump a decent distance. The whole lot would be
running off a 12v gell cell. That said, it makes me think that a flyback
driven by a voltage multiplier might do something.
 
On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 12:01:10 GMT, "Poxy" <pox@poxymail.com> wrote:

Matt2 - Amstereo wrote:
get a 240v to 3v ac adaptor, gut the unit for the transformer.

with 1.5 - 3 volt as a source connected to the 3v side, everytime the
source is disconnected (with a relay) you should get a spark at the
other end if the terminals are close enough, want more spark, use
higher voltage at the low voltage end (3v will give 240 9v will give
~600 etc)

Cheers for the suggestion, but I don't think that magnitude of voltage is
enough to make a spark jump a decent distance. The whole lot would be
running off a 12v gell cell. That said, it makes me think that a flyback
driven by a voltage multiplier might do something.


Car ignition coil might be the go, possibly driven by a relay applying
Click to expand...
12v to it momentarily. These seem sufficient to make a decent size
spark for Jacob's ladders and such.

maybe an automotive spark plug would be ideal for the purpose of
igniting the gas too, as that is what its designed to do ? (I dont
know if petrol vapour is easier or harder to ignite than methane
though)


All "off the shelf" and mass produced items too.
 
KLR wrote:
On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 12:01:10 GMT, "Poxy" <pox@poxymail.com> wrote:


Matt2 - Amstereo wrote:

get a 240v to 3v ac adaptor, gut the unit for the transformer.

with 1.5 - 3 volt as a source connected to the 3v side, everytime the
source is disconnected (with a relay) you should get a spark at the
other end if the terminals are close enough, want more spark, use
higher voltage at the low voltage end (3v will give 240 9v will give
~600 etc)

Cheers for the suggestion, but I don't think that magnitude of voltage is
enough to make a spark jump a decent distance. The whole lot would be
running off a 12v gell cell. That said, it makes me think that a flyback
driven by a voltage multiplier might do something.



Car ignition coil might be the go, possibly driven by a relay applying
12v to it momentarily. These seem sufficient to make a decent size
spark for Jacob's ladders and such.

maybe an automotive spark plug would be ideal for the purpose of
igniting the gas too, as that is what its designed to do ? (I dont
know if petrol vapour is easier or harder to ignite than methane
though)


All "off the shelf" and mass produced items too.
Click to expand...
V = L*dI/dt

so for big V, 3 options exist:

1) lots of L

2) lots of I (and hence dI when you open the switch)

3) bugger all dt (ie *fast* switch)

for a given coil, you dont have control over L, and I will be limited.
But you can make bigger sparks by reducing dt

a FET with a wicked fast turn off is the go here

Cheers
Terry
 
"Poxy" <pox@poxymail.com> wrote in
news:5Xc_d.1412$C7.1400@news-server.bigpond.net.au:

I need to generate a spark to ignite butane - I've been using a piezo
barbeque lighter, which works well, but now I need to automate the
ignition. I tried using an Oatley plasma display board based around a
TV flyback transformer, but the spark, which will only occur when the
gap is about 2mm, seems too small to ignite the gas consistently.

I only need one strong spark - does anyone know of anything suitable?
Click to expand...
Reece plumbing have a 240vac igniter. Outputs enough volts to jump 1/2 to 1
inch in air IIRC. It is designed I believe for some types of gas heaters.
We use them at work for a different purpose. Costs us about $21.
 
hi, errr u would be making a orange canon , would you ?

mark k

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"Poxy" <pox@poxymail.com> wrote in message
news:5Xc_d.1412$C7.1400@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
I need to generate a spark to ignite butane - I've been using a piezo
barbeque lighter, which works well, but now I need to automate the
ignition.
I tried using an Oatley plasma display board based around a TV flyback
transformer, but the spark, which will only occur when the gap is about
2mm,
seems too small to ignite the gas consistently.

I only need one strong spark - does anyone know of anything suitable?
Click to expand...
 
mark krawczuk wrote:
hi, errr u would be making a orange canon , would you ?
Click to expand...
Kind of, but no projectile. It's a gas gun for making a loud bang for
scaring birds off an orchard. The idea is to set it up for automatic
operation.
 
hi, dont really know if this would work : ( got a bit of idea on
electronics.....)
car ignition coil and a 555 timer driving a powertransistor to turn the
coil of n on real fast... wouldnt this generate good spark ???
any other thoughts ??


mark k

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"Poxy" <pox@poxymail.com> wrote in message
news:4cK_d.3034$C7.1841@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
mark krawczuk wrote:
hi, errr u would be making a orange canon , would you ?

Kind of, but no projectile. It's a gas gun for making a loud bang for
scaring birds off an orchard. The idea is to set it up for automatic
operation.
Click to expand...
 
use the flash unit out of a disposable camera you can pick them up from
film developers for nicks

work off 1.5v
 
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