Van de Graff

VAN DE
GRAFF
GENERATOR
ABDUL QUDDUS BORA

04541
12-F
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
History of all great works to witness that no great work was ever done
without either active or passive support of a person, thus it is not hard to
conclude how active assistance from senior could positively impact the
execution of the project.
First of all, I would like to thank the supreme power of God, who is
obviously the one who has guided to work on this project and always
guided me to the right path.
I would like express my gratitude to my Physics Teacher. Achla Maam for

helping me with this project by clearing all of my concerns during the
making of this project.
I am feeling obligated to thank our Principal Mr. A.P Sharma Sir for
providing me with the faculty required to finish this project.
Last but not least I would like to express my gratitude to those who are not
mentioned here but have played an important role in the project.
INDEX
SR.no TOPIC PAGE NO
1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 WORKING OF VAN DE 2
GRAFF GENERATOR
3 PRINCIPLE OF VAN 4
DE GRAFF
GENERATOR
4 CONTRUCTION 5
5 COMMERCIAL USE OF 6
THE DEVICE
6 BIBLIOGRAPHY 7
INTRODUCTION
Robert Jemison Van de Graaff. Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Van de

Graaff earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the
University of Alabama.
A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator which uses a

moving belt to accumulate electric charge on a hollow metal globe on the
top of an insulated column, creating very high electric potentials. It
produces very high voltage direct current (DC) electricity at low current
levels. It was invented by American physicist Robert J. Van de Graaff in
1929. The potential difference achieved by modern Van de Graaff
generators can be as much as 5 megavolts. A tabletop version can produce
on the order of 100 kV and can store enough energy to produce visible
electric sparks. Small Van de Graaff machines are produced for
entertainment, and for physics education to teach electrostatics; larger ones
are displayed in some science museums
WORKING OF VAN GRAFF GENERATOR
The Van de Graaff generator works by static electricity, like shuffling your
feet across the carpet and shocking yourself on the doorknob. Big rubber
bands move over a piece of felt and strip away the felt's electrons. The
electrons move up the rubber band to the metal ball and into the person.
A Van de Graaff generator pulls electrons from the Earth, moves them
along a belt and stores them on the large sphere. These electrons repel each
other and try to get as far away from each other as possible, spreading out
on the surface of the sphere.
Van De Graaff Generator Consists of the Following:

• An outer terminal - An aluminum or steel sphere
• Upper brush - A piece of fine metal wire
• Upper pulley (P1) - A piece of nylon
• A long narrow conveyor belt of insulating material like Silk, rayon or
rubber wound around the pulleys P1 and P2
• Motor
• Lower brush
• Lower pulley (P2) - A piece of nylon covered with silicon tape.
• B1 - Sharply pointed spray comb
• B2 - Sharply pointed collecting comb
When the spray comb is given a positive Potential (= 10 4 volts) w.r.t. the
earth via the high-tension source H.T.
Due to corona discharge action of sharp points, a positively charged electric
wind is set up, which sprays a positive charge on the belt as soon the motor
is turned on, the lower pulley (P2) begins turning the positively charged belt
upwards, and the lower pulley (P1) establishes a negative charge.
Since the pulley P2 is capturing electrons from the belt which is passing over
his pulley P2.
Here, we can see that the charge on the pulley P2 is more concentrated than
the belt because a strong electric field is generated at the lower pulley.
As the belt reaches the sphere, a negative charge builds upon the collecting
comb B2 and a positive charge on the farther side of the comb B2.
This positive charge shifts to the outer surface of S. The discharging action
of sharp points of the comb B2, a negatively charged electric wind is set up.
Which in turn would neutralize the coated positive charge on the belt, and
the belt would turn down again.
The belt will collect the positive charge from comb B1, and then would be
collected by the comb B2.
This process continues, the charge accumulates on the sphere S and the
excess charge shows up on the outer surface of the sphere.
Capacitance of electrical sphere.
The Potential Difference V increases with an increase in charge Q.

As soon as the Potential of the shell exceeds the breakdown field value of
air, the air around S gets ionized, and leakage occurs.
This leakage is minimized by housing the shell inside the steel chamber filled
with nitrogen and methane at high-pressures.
PRINCIPLE OF VAN DE GRAFF GENERATOR
Van de Graaff is based on the principle of static electricity – that if a

charged conductor is brought internally in contact with the hollow
conductor all the charges from the inner conductor are transferred to the
surface of the outer conductor no matter what amount of charge is already
present on the outer shell.
Van de Graaff Generators are “Constant Current” Electrostatic devices that

work mainly on the two principles:
• Corona discharge.
• Accumulation of charge on the outer sphere
CONTRUCTION
As depicted in the Van de Graaff generator diagram – Aluminum roller and

Plastic roller , a simple Van de Graaff generator consists of a rubber belt
travelling over a pair of rollers. A hollow metallic sphere set on an insulated
stand surround one of them. The electron emitter is positioned near the
lower plastic roller in the form of a comb (D) made up of sharp metal points,
with the comb pointing towards the rubber belt. External power keeps the
comb at a high positive voltage. Another comb, the receiver comb (E), is
located near the upper roller and is attached to a hollow metal sphere, which
is moved by a motor connected to the bottom roller.
COMMERCIAL USE OF THE DEVICE
• These accelerators are also known as Particle Smashers. The high

energy supply by the Generator accelerates the subatomic particles in
an evacuation tube, and these particles crash into atoms.
• The ability of a Generator to create these high-energy collisions is the

cornerstone of Particles and used to accelerate ions, protons, and
electrons needed for various experiments of Nuclear physics.
• These Generators are used as accelerators to generate X-Ray beams

for nuclear research and nuclear medicine.
• In physics education to teach Electrostatics.
• Accelerates electrons to sterilize food and process materials
• It’s used to generate a high voltage range of a few million volts.
• It is used to accelerate projectiles such as protons, deuterons and

other high-kinetic-energy particles that cause artificial transmutation
when they hit their target.
• It’s used in Physics to investigate collision experiments.
• These beams are employed in cancer treatment.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grade 12 Physics Text Book
Grade 12 Physics Reference Books
www.google.com
www.brainly.com
www.uncademy.com
www.vedantu.com

Van de Graff

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Van de Graff

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Van de Graff

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

VAN DE

ABDUL QUDDUS BORA

I would like express my gratitude to my Physics Teacher. Achla Maam for

Robert Jemison Van de Graaff. Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Van de

A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator which uses a

Van De Graaff Generator Consists of the Following:

The Potential Difference V increases with an increase in charge Q.

Van de Graaff is based on the principle of static electricity – that if a

Van de Graaff Generators are “Constant Current” Electrostatic devices that

As depicted in the Van de Graaff generator diagram – Aluminum roller and

• These accelerators are also known as Particle Smashers. The high

• The ability of a Generator to create these high-energy collisions is the

• These Generators are used as accelerators to generate X-Ray beams

• In physics education to teach Electrostatics.

• Accelerates electrons to sterilize food and process materials

• It’s used to generate a high voltage range of a few million volts.

• It is used to accelerate projectiles such as protons, deuterons and

• It’s used in Physics to investigate collision experiments.

• These beams are employed in cancer treatment.

You might also like