[Skyy] sent us a video of him cooking s’mores with an electric arc. He’s using a flyback transformer with a zero voltage switching (ZVS) driver. This produces about 50 kV, which is more than enough to toast the marshmallow.
ZVS is a technique that triggers the semiconductor switches when they have zero voltage across them. This ensures that there’s minimal heat created by the switches, since they are not interrupting any current at the time they are toggled. ZVS is also used in lighting dimmers to switch off power without creating interference.
If you’re interested in the details, there’s a great tutorial on building the driver. If you’re interested in learning how it works, check out this simulation video.
[Skyy] admits that his setup isn’t terribly safe since it uses a breadboard, which isn’t rated for the high voltages and currents. Keep in mind that these circuits could kill you. After the break, watch a marshmallow fry in a 50 kV arc.
Cute but I don’t think it’d get the center of marshmallow hot and gooey. Too much heat on the outside, cold in middle. But this project might have other good use like frying a CD-R and DVD-R
I agree. Impressive, but it’s more of a charred-on-the-outside marshmallow than toasted marshmallow.
Personally, I can’t stand the layer of burnt sugar on the outside. It has to be ever so slightly browned, and like you said, gooey in the middle.
yeah, it’s not practical as far as efficiently cooking a marshmallow, but it was definitely a fun one to try out!
cool! we at hackerspace Brmlab have been doing something similar – making caramel using MOTs, with very tasty results – http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0PUFUCJJJa8 here’s the recipe ;) http://soup.brmlab.cz/post/319927543/caramellized-fructose-by-chido
cheers!
I’ve done this before. Unfortunately the arcing gives it a weird ozone taste :/
Me too. Great for a HV demo, but you wouldn’t want to eat the result.
Ah come on, everything tastes better with 50,000 volts!
go jayhawks!
eep i have killed one of my old tek DSOs using a 555 push-pull flyback driver that close to a scope … careful!
Reminds me of the first Ghost Busters movie…
Don’t cross the streams…
Is Skyy a Kansan?