Plasma Globe
High-frequency flyback-transformer decoration
Danger: Never touch the flyback-transformer output. It can cause severe burns and, under some conditions, fatal electric shock.
Introduction
This project is a decorative plasma-globe experiment based on a television flyback transformer. A 12 V supply drives a power transistor at several kilohertz, producing a high-frequency alternating voltage of roughly 10 kV on the secondary winding.
Circuit and Practical Notes
I used a flyback transformer from a colour television, a KD605 transistor and a 100 Ω / 5 W resistor. The high-frequency field creates visible discharges inside an ordinary incandescent bulb placed near the transformer output.
Do not keep a grounded object close to the bulb for too long. During one test with a 200 W bulb, the concentrated discharge overheated and punctured the glass. The plasma channels can become very hot and may cause burns.
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