Photoflash capacitors and Charging

[T3rr0rByte13]

I must confess I am very new to electronics. I have 3 capacitors (80uf, 330volt) wired in parallel, then a switch, then a 1kΩ resistor, then I have 2 AA batteries to charge the capacitors. Got the circuit built, ready to flip the switch and monitor the voltage of capacitors, however I have no idea what is likely to happen. Questions I have:

1. about how long do I have until the capacitors are fully charged?
2. if I take too long to switch the charging circuit off will the capacitors explode?
3. how dangerous is what I am doing?

 

[cjdelphi]

How long to charge them? With just 2 aa batteries? ... never

Not dangerous at all without extra circuitry

 

[T3rr0rByte13]

What would you recommend that I charge them with? My idea is to discharge them into a coil, I am making a coil gun of sorts.

 

[cjdelphi]

The aa batteries are fine, you need to step up the voltage (inductor/transformer required)

 

[Colin Mitchell]

You need to see the coil gun article where you put a projectile in the barrel and fire it at a person and it kills them immediately.
A really fun project.

 

[hevans1944]

What would you recommend that I charge them with? My idea is to discharge them into a coil, I am making a coil gun of sorts.

What is "a coil gun of sorts"? What will you use your "coil gun" for? What type of projectile will your "coil gun" launch? How fast will the projectile be when launched from your "coil gun of sorts"? What is the mass of the projectile? What is its size and shape? Will it be dangerous, perhaps lethal, for a living organism to intercept the projectile while it is in flight? Your answers to these questions are of great importance to the life of this thread.

 

[cjdelphi]

Can't a low voltage super cap be used? 2.7v 500f for less than $10 will put a photo cap to shame...

I suppose the the copper coil would need to be quite a lot thicker than it's high voltage counterpart

 

[davenn]

What would you recommend that I charge them with? My idea is to discharge them into a coil, I am making a coil gun of sorts.

Thread closed
because if this is done correctly, it is a dangerous project

please reread the rules you agreed to when your signed up


Dave