This high voltage module contains a very traditional, but simple circuit to boost the mains supply voltage up to several thousand volts at low current.
I screwed up. I showed the 220nF capacitor on the PCB photo between the transformer pads. It should be on the two ones to the left.
The resistor I added in experimentaly was 33K 2W.
I also forgot to show a close-up of an unsleeved carbon fibre emitter. It's just the stripped wire and a bundle of carbon fibre strands laid into a brass crimp, which is crimped and sleeved with heat shrink sleeving.
The eBay listing title of the item shown is:-
AC 220V Car Air Purifier Negative Ion Ionizer Anion Generator Airborne Modules
Although designed for 220V (Chinese standard voltage) this unit will work on 120V at much lower output (and much longer life). For 230V to 240V it may be useful to add a 1W 10K to 33K resistor in series to make the life of the internal resistors easier.
If building this into a plastic enclosure to make an ioniser/ionizer I'd recommend adding a couple of 1 megohm 1W/2W resistors in series with either each output lead or just one pair in series with the general output, splitting to all the emitters again after the resistors. That provides an extra layer of safety for anyone touching the emitters.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
#ElectronicsCreators

This video is about ebay's biggest ionizers with 10 outputs, but even if you're, not interested in ionizers you'll still find the circuitry in this very interesting, because it's an unusual circuit extremely efficient and it may provide some inspiration. So the idea of this is that when, in this case this is a 220 volt unit, but i just tested 120 volts, it works 120 volts at much lower output, but will last virtually forever because the stress on the components will be a fraction of what it Would be on the 220 volt rating, but the idea of this is that you plug into the mains, and it creates a high voltage in the end of these carbon fiber bundles and because they are a series of sharp points. The high negative voltage then goes into the ear. It creates a charge in the air and if you mount these as they're often found in ducts through holes in the plastic channels of fans, there will be some path to ground and you'll get a tiny little bit of corona discharge.

It will create trace levels of ozone as well just for extra benefit. So this one came from ebay, there's a surprise and it's described as ac 220 volt car air purifier 220 volts in your car, very handy uh, air, purifier, negative ion ionizer and ion generator airborne modules. Anion they often use anion um. It was five pounds.

Fifty one um that is extremely good - that was all inclusive, that's extremely good value for a module like this it's kind of specialized. I shall talk out of the way, so i often get asked how i depot these modules. In this case, i got a pair of pliers and i heated the case up and then gripped the edge of the plastic and twisted and that breaks the plastic away. I then found that with the module you could actually spudge it down.

This is another one, i'm not going to open this one, because i want this one intact. I spurned a spudgered another one open, but you can slide that down and it starts it helps to start off by breaking all the outer plastic off just using whatever force is needed. What you don't stab yourself in the process once it's out, i tried soaking the module in acetone. It went into a certain depth and then stopped it wasn't very fast to actually do.

I ended up using my heat gun and, basically speaking, i'd heat, the area that i wanted to do park. This heat gun up there out the way, and then i took a knife, cain's knife, it's a maker knife by jaco and then peered away at it and once it got hard again, then i'd heat it up and it's very time consuming. Once you get down to the finer details, you can then use a little screwdriver to actually uh just fine chisel into the details. Once the resin was out.

I was left with this and i didn't take all the resin off there's a reason for that. Let me bring in pictures, so we can see it much closer. So here is the top layer. This looks out of focus just because it's looking through diffused plastic.

This is a 220 nano farad, 400 volt capacitor. This is a high voltage, capacitor uh rated 470 picofarads uh. There's a high voltage diode here, a very long high voltage, diode reached about 10 to 12 000 volts and then there's a little uh thyristor here. The theristor is an mcr 100-6, very, very common super sensitive, very easy to turn on really popular used in night lights and exact the dusk switch.
The back of the circuit board is the most important bit to me, because i can reverse engineer from a basic layout of stuff, like this. Seeing the all i needed was the placement of these components other side, a very rough uh placement. I already guessed. That was a thyristor that there would be a capacitor here going by the circuitry in the back that this would be a capacitor.

This would be a diode, it all kind of made sense. But here we have the circuitry with the two incoming connections, the first one going via a resistor and then diode the next one going via two resistors, because each one is doing different functions, uh and then there is that uh capacitor across here should draw that capacitor. On there's the thyristor here there is the capacitor there. There's the high voltage capacitor serial anti-tracking slot there between these big pads here.

But then it really closes up here and there's no anti-tracking slot minor technicality. But there is a capacitor here: the high voltage capacitor they're relying a lot in the resin in this uh unit and then there's the high voltage diode, which is going from. Let me see, let me work this out. It's going a wave, so it's going like that.

The high voltage diode, which is actually a stack of little diodes inside again they've, got the anti-tracking slot which just stops dead without actually continuing along to here where those pads are in parallel, but i think they're really just i'm not sure. That's how i did it. The output goes via this um odd, 20 mega ohm resistor, really not rated for like the voltages involved, and then it goes to this clump of just these are all just parallel together. These, these literally just all, are soldered straight onto that and there's a little sort of notch out the corner that i think yes, there is well, it's really just it's a huge big clump.

That's the demo coming up off here and then potted and resin strange. Is that got a gap through? Yes, it has they kind of cut out into that, but i didn't take the resin out there because i didn't need to right. Let's go on to the schematic, so we can see how this works, because this one is using a pretty neat circuit. It's a common enough circuit um, but let's zoom down this.

The reason this is uh. Actually i drew this out on my notepad. Where is it? Is that it? I think, that's it. I drew it in the notepad, but then i copied it onto this cream paper because i want to draw in the current paths during various phases of operation.

So what we have here is the incoming ac supply and there are two current limiting resistors they're, the ones that limit the current. That's charging up this capacitor and that's the capacitor that is used to dump a spike of current through the transformer here. So, on one half of the main cycle that capacitor is charged up, this side was positive. This side was negative on the other half this thyristor is triggered and it shuns him and when it does the southern pulsar current and with the coil in series of the capacitor in a loop here, it creates a magnetic pulse in the coil that then gets transferred Through very simple, just one capacitor one diode to create a negative voltage here and then that 20 mega ohm resistor on that output, the 20 mega ohm resistor is odd.
It's a safety thing. It's supposed to isolate you from the current path through to the mains, but in reality uh. I i think it's based that the value is so identical fundamentally to the original mountain breeze ionizers that used two 10 megaohm resistors series and they used big resistors, like you know like this, but actually 10 mega and the reason they did. That was for extra voltage.

Separation, you know because they're rated for a higher voltage in reality, if you were to short the output out, it would dissipate a bit of power, but it's all very low power. So the voltage would clamp down to virtually zero across these, but mountain breeze used to use two, because the higher voltage of these gave better separation they've just used 120 mega minute. I see this a lot. It's very strange.

This means that if you want to use this an application where these are exposed touch, i would recommend inside possibly just lop all these off, except for one. Take that one to a couple of one mega, ohm resistors, at least in series, one watt or two watts. Something just that's going to have a high voltage rating and then recombine it with all the cables so that, basically speaking uh, the output of this gets uh lit current limited by a couple of resistors that, if you touch it, there's not you're not going to be Relying on one surface mount component between you and a significant electric shock, although having said that there are at least two 18k resistors here, which would help uh reduce the risk of that, but again their surface mount anyway. Let me show you the current path that happens.

So because this is being fed with ac, it alternates positive, negative and then negative positive on the charge cycle. This goes positive and this goes negative. The current flows through this current limiting resistor through this diode and it charges up that capacitor, the other side of the capacitor, is effectively via the coil, it's negative via this diode and this resistor and technically speaking, that's also there. So that's the that part of the cycle when it then changes to the other half.

Let me just uh so at this point in time uh. This is charged up positive and this is charge negative when this side goes negative, and this goes positive, i'm just wondering if i wasn't shocked for the other bit. That would be so annoying if it wasn't, but you'll have got the just in a way. Probably what happens now is that to turn this thyristor on the gate has to go positive with respect to the uh, the negative terminal here, so it finds its negative from main supply via this diode and that resistor.
So that's connected to negative. The positive comes from this resistor here which will limit its current about one milliamp and that's: what's used to actually fire that when it does fire up the current suddenly, that will turn on suddenly and there'll, be a huge current spike around here and that's what induces The current across into that coil and then creates the high voltage over on the secondary side. It's a very, very, very simple circuit. It's refreshing! It's it's a simple, logical and, and on the even when you go back to this original picture here, when this is negative, it's effectively keeping that uh thyristor really solidly off by pulling it to negative it.

It achieves a lot with a little it's a very, very impressive circuit, so just in case i didn't actually take my fingers out of the way for any of that. That's the the charge cycle and that's the discharge cycle. So i have been experimenting with this. I've got one of these uh that i've cobbled together into something hold on.

I'm just going to dig this out. I used it. Oh i read it. This was not part of the original video.

This is me just making stuffs up it. Go along. I connected one of the outputs to the an ozone plate. I'm going to power this up screw it what's.

The worst could happen. Well, an electric shock is the worst thing could happen, but you know what things have to be done: let's connect it in a dangerous way, because this is effectively finding its current path to ground. If you want to use it as an ozone generated power source, you have to use a connection to its uh negative here. Well, it's neutral, so i'd recommend using a resistor in line and again i'd recommend a resistor in line with this.

If this is going to be exposed, this was featured in another video and you can download the files for that and get them made manufactured. There are now two versions, just two different logos: the molecular destroyer. Now i have to remember that these brushes here are all going to be live at high voltage, so i have to keep that out of the way i'm also going to have to pick this up to let you hear it so this is going to be curious. I try not to get electric shock here, but you just never know.

What's going to happen, it's now running ah, and this hold on yeah right. Tell you what i'll, try and procure to lift all this up without getting a zap and i'll hold it up. For you to listen, you could probably hear the air blow past that i did get a tingle. Yes, that is not a surprise, uh right! So other things you can do this.
I think they are pushing these resistors quite hard, these little 18k resistors i'll. Do this experiment right now, the 18k resistor and 18k resistor they're, you know they're going to get mildly, warm the power consumption. This. Let me plug it in again and show you the power consumption.

Without touching the spicy bit power, consumption on the hoppy is showing, as 0.6 watts got it so little three milliamps terrible power factor, but it's only half wave anyway. 0.6 watts is nothing it's. You know completely and utterly negligible. But when i put this resistor in series with the live - or i could put it in series the neutral and that would probably be safer, let's do that.

Let's be safe like that something fresh for this channel, so i shall twist this wire on here and basically speaking, that means the same is going to be actually live with respect to that, but not to worry it's fine i'll just make sure. I don't touch that uh if i plug it in now, the current drops solo that the hoppy doesn't read it anymore. Let me just grab a hold of this and see if i don't get a zap i'll hold it up and you can listen to it. Can you hear it? I did a test and it still produced plenty of ozone, but adding that extra resistor in series takes stress off, as it gets warm mildly.

Warm. It's taking a lot of stress off the resistors in there, so by adding that resistor in particular. If you're on a 240 volt supply or higher could actually potentially make this unit last longer, it basically nudges it down what actually happens in the circuitry there. If i grab that circuitry back by adding that extra resistor and it doesn't really affect operation, but it does affect how much this capacitor is charged up, it may be that, even with the that, you know a fairly low high edge value of resistor, this will get Charged up to the full point because keep in mind that in one half of the sine wave it's being charged, the other half is being discharged so, depending on how much current can flow through resistors will ultimately determine the voltage that ends up across that capacitor.

But i think these resistors are chosen such that it's always going to end up fairly high anyway. So adding an extra resistance in series doesn't really do too much harm and just teams things down. It makes things last longer. It just takes the stress off stuff.

This is good. This makes electronics last a lot longer, but there we go. That is that shove that out of the way, this module? It's very good? It's you know what you get, because it's aimed at industrial applications. It's not a consumer's thing, uh, it does get.

You know it's cheap and it's fun to play with, but do remember that it all operates high voltage, but a low current, but mains voltage referenced and that thing about. If you decide to build this in a case and make your own mofo ionizer, i would recommend at least what i did there about saying, put one resistor in sears with all these or indeed, if you want to just break each one, you can put a one Mega ohm or two one mega ohm resistors and a bit of heat shrink sleeve and just break each one and uh that will also kind of spread the current between them as well, but all in all it says, model ms-fa7000. I wonder if that's a 7 000 volts or something don't really know. Output 5 kv to 6.5 kv, so it might well be, but it's a nice module.
It's interesting ideal for high voltage experiments.

10 thoughts on “eBay’s biggest ioniser module depotted (with schematic)”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Emmanuel Istace says:

    I have a lot of trouble understanding your accent (not native, I find there's tons of "sh", but totally on me), yet, it's a pleasure to listen to you, you're so calming <3 And I bet I'll be able to understand your accent as a pro in few weeks 🙂 even tho I missed half the points in here.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Matthew Maxwell-Burton says:

    Reminds me of a very simple Tesla coil esque circuit. Did you work out what the resonance frequency of the capacitor / indictor combo is? You probs find that when ever the gate triggors, the cap / indictor will resonate through the thyristor then back through the diodes. That and a loosely coupled transformer and you can get some serious HV. On a side note have you tried replicating the circuit on a simulator, much like ltspice ect… ?

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Chris Storm says:

    I’ve put a couple 110v ac units in a cupboard space, and used a 5.6k resistor on the hot wire to increase the safety factor of slamming fine wire with mains voltage on it in the cupboard door.

    The thought was that in a short circuit condition (or human contact) the current could not exceed roughly 20 mA. Coincidentally, this also dropped to voltage from about 125v to 112v putting the ionizers closer to their operating voltage.

    When you stuck the resistor into the Hopi, what was the safety advantage of putting the resistor on the neutral side? Was this just to reduce the risk of coming into contact with bare resistor leads that were live?

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Dean Cornell says:

    220V in a car is getting to be less and less of a ridiculous prospect, with all the electric and hybrid vehicles running around with 300+ volt battery systems.
    I wish I could remember the word (yes there is / was a single word) for "misuse of a large word in an attempt to sound smart"
    Bravo for having the god-like patience to actually de-pot a little mystery module like this.
    You are our hero!

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars ejonesss says:

    i dont know what the wattage of the unit is but you can build an inverter that steps 12 or even 6 volts up to 220 to power this.

    although a 20 or even 40 to 1 step up ratio may have the inverter drawing a couple amps from the battery

    be careful with heat around acetone the fumes are not only not good to be breathing in but they could be ignited by heat sources.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Seegal Galguntijak says:

    "anion" stands for negative ions (like "anode") while "kation" would be positive ions (like the kathode). At least that's how we use these words in German, so I guess they've made it an international thing now (if it wasn't that before, anyways).

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Kenneth Cope says:

    I've been subscirbed to the channel for a long time. I'm a non -electicial/electronics person, and this has been the most usful video, in terms of what's happening in a circuit at any moment that we have had. This has been such an eye opener for me. I think that once you get to a certain point, this stuff is obvious, but for the beginner, not so much. Great. thank you soooooo much.

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Binary Bug says:

    ive noted something strange sir clive. I have a 20,000mg ozone machine in the bedroom. When I pop it on, and say im there for 15-20 seconds, breathing it in, once downstairs and I use my vape, the vape hits so hard in the throat you cough. It only does this when ive breathed in ozone, not sure why this happens, but try it.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars My Project Box says:

    I've used a similar circuit driving a thyristor to make a electric fence energiser . It used a voltage doubler rather than resistors to charge the capacitor ( almost like a kind of cap dropper current limiting). As the capacitor charged up it would reach a threshold and fire the ( I bit like a light dimmer circuit but slowly about one pulse per second)

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Nick Wallette says:

    In my head, the video ended with a crossover to a softly spoken English gentleman saying "yes, this is live at 220 volts.. but we don't do 220 volts on this channel, do we, boys and girls? No.. I think we should hook it up to this * pans camera to monsterous Variac * and crank it roight up until it pops."

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