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Plasma Speaker: NMAM Institute of Technology Nitte

This document describes a student project to build a plasma speaker. A plasma speaker produces sound by varying the size of a plasma arc with an audio signal rather than using a solid diaphragm. The project aims to produce a rapid series of plasma arcs that can transduce an audio electrical signal into audible air pressure variations. The document includes a block diagram and circuit diagram of the plasma speaker design, as well as specifications of components, the methodology, and a project plan with timelines.

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Puneeth Shettigar
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145 views

Plasma Speaker: NMAM Institute of Technology Nitte

This document describes a student project to build a plasma speaker. A plasma speaker produces sound by varying the size of a plasma arc with an audio signal rather than using a solid diaphragm. The project aims to produce a rapid series of plasma arcs that can transduce an audio electrical signal into audible air pressure variations. The document includes a block diagram and circuit diagram of the plasma speaker design, as well as specifications of components, the methodology, and a project plan with timelines.

Uploaded by

Puneeth Shettigar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NMAM Institute of Technology Nitte

Plasma
speaker

Team Member
1. PUNEETH R SHETTIGAR
2. NISHANTH S

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg.


PLASMA SPEAKER

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 1


PLASMA SPEAKER

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 2


PLASMA SPEAKER

Introduction:
Aim:- To produce a rapid occurring series of plama arcs, through which an audio signal
can be transduced from an electrical signal into an overpressure wave,capable of being
heard by a human.

Plasma speakers or ionophones are a form of loudspeaker which varies air


pressure via a high-energy electrical plasmainstead of a solid diaphragm.
Connected to the output of an audio amplifier, plasma speakers vary the size[citation
needed]
of a plasma glow discharge, corona discharge or electric arc which then acts
as a massless radiating element, creating thecompression waves in air that listeners
perceive as sound. The technique is an evolution of William Duddell's "singing
arc" of 1900, and an innovation related to ion thruster spacecraft propulsion.
The term ionophone can also be used to describe a transducer for converting
acoustic vibrations in plasma into an electrical signal.
The effect takes advantage of two unique principles:[citation
needed]
Firstly, ionization of gases causes their electrical resistanceto drop
significantly, making them extremely efficient conductors, which allows them to
vibrate sympathetically with magnetic fields. Secondly, the involved plasma, itself
a field of ions, has a relatively negligible mass. Thus as current frequency varies,
more-resistant air remains mechanically coupled with and is driven by vibration of
the more conductive and essentially[specify]massless plasma, radiating a potentially
ideal reproduction of the sound source.

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 3


PLASMA SPEAKER

Block Diagram:

INPUT TL494 CONTROLLER POWER MOSFET


SECTION
(PULSEWIDTH (RAPID
(AUDIO JACK) MODULATION CURRENT
CONTROL) SWITCH)

HIGH VOLTAGE

TRANFORMER

(FLYBACK)

OUTPUT

(SINGING ARC)

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 4


PLASMA SPEAKER

Circuit Diagram:

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 5


PLASMA SPEAKER

Methodology:
Most modern published schematics for building “singing arc” speakers
use either a 555 timer or a TL494 PWM controller, whose output is
wired to a standard power transistor or MOSFET to rapidly switch
current on and off to the high-voltage (HV) transformer. I chose to use a
555 timer with a unique power component, the insulated-gate bipolar
transistor (IGBT), which is ideally suited for this application. It’s got the
high current capacity of a bipolar transistor and the voltage control of a
MOSFET.
The 555 timer is set up in astable mode to continually output a frequency
dependent upon an RC network composed of two resistors and a
capacitor. This is the oscillation frequency that powers the HV
transformer. I chose a “base frequency” of approximately 23kHz
because it allows the HV transformer to create an output arc (plasma)
that doesn’t produce any sound or tone on its own, as this would detract
from the sound quality of the speaker.
Pin 5 on the 555 timer is the control voltage input. By applying a voltage
to this pin, we can vary the output frequency of the timer independently
from the base frequency that’s set by the RC network. This creates a
frequency modulation (FM) output, like FM radio. Just connect the
audio output from the 2N3904 transistor to pin 5, and now your audio
signal is modulating the output frequency of the 555 timer. This FM
output, amplified by the HV transformer, is what jiggles the ions in the
plasma arc to create sound.
This small speaker is the equivalent of a tweeter. Large electric arcs can
produce better fidelity at lower frequencies, but the smaller arcs in this
device are better at reproducing sound in the higher frequencies.

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 6


PLASMA SPEAKER

Sepcification of the Component:


Sl No Component Description
1. TL494 chip
2. 50v electrolytic capacitor 200uF (or 220uF)
3. capacitor 47nF - 250v (or similar voltage
ratings)
4. capacitor 100nF - 50v
5. capacitor 10nF - 50v
6. resistor 2.2K - 1/4W
7. resistor 10 ohm - 1/4W
8. UF4007 diode (or other fast diode that is rated 1A
(or more) and 500v (or more)
9. 10K - 1/4W potentiometer (same thing as a variable resistor)
10. 22K - 1/4W potentiometer (same thing as a variable resistor)
11. Audio jack
12. Wire
13. IRF540 MOSFET (other MOSFET's with similar
ratings should work)
14. Large heatsink
15. Flyback transformer (can be found from old CRT)
16. 12v power source (for TL494 oscillator / I used a 9v
battery)
17. 12v to 40v power source (for TL494 oscillator / I used a 9v
battery)
18. Veroboard

 Tools used:

 Soldering iron
 Wire strippers
 Wire cutters
 Pliers
 Hot glue gun

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 7


PLASMA SPEAKER

Project Plan:

Sl No Activity Name Start Date End Date


1. Synopsis of plasma speaker 27/08/17 3/09/17
2. Circuit building 11/09/17 21/09/17
3. Testing 22/09/17 1/10/17

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 8


PLASMA SPEAKER

References:
1. .Google
2. .Smbaker.com

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engg. 9

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