High Voltage Generators

Development and building of high voltage generators based on client specification

In the food- and pharmaceutical industry it is crucial to make bacterium free products. For the most part, water is used as a binder in the production process of tablets, pills and dragées. Therefore, first, the water is made free of bacteria by heating and, if necessary, is further purified with UV-filter technologies. Energetically, this method is expensive. Possibly, this also can be achieved by putting a vacuum in a closed area over the water that needs purification and, at the same time, putting a high voltage between vacuum and liquid. Through this high voltage a plasma originates, by a discharge above the liquid surface, with an UV spectrum of sufficient spreading for this purification. By order of the industry, ECN has done a feasibility study about the application of a high voltage generator, on the one hand for a controlled plasma forming and on the other hand with a higher energetic yield. Subsequently, at this moment, such a plasma-generator is being developed and built.

For the measurement of conductivity of gasses under different pressures and temperatures, also high voltages are being used. The voltage increases slowly and right before a breakdown occurs, the high voltage is being kept stable, so the quotient of the electric current and the built voltage will reflect the conductivity of the gas concerned. For the internal market, ECN has developed and built a high voltage generator.