Phase 1
VDG concept
The original Van de Graaff path helped define the project goal, but it was not practical for controlled and repeatable testing.
Snapshot
Current status
The project has moved from concept work into a real bench-scale prototype. The chamber and HV system have been built, spark-gap discharge has been demonstrated, and preliminary CO₂ testing has been run through a handheld analyzer.
Built hardware
Chamber + HV setup
The chamber, electronics, gas path, and bench setup have all been assembled into a working prototype.
Observed result
Analyzer response
After 30 seconds to 1 minute of runtime, the handheld analyzer showed CO readings peaking around 50 ppm.
Next step
Stronger validation
The next phase is improving reliability, flow control, and validation with better gas diagnostics.
Important limitation: nanosecond pulse operation is still a design goal. The present build is constrained by the PWM/control hardware, and accurate MFC-driven logging is not yet reliable.
Design Evolution
From Van de Graaff to pulsed discharge
The project began with a Van de Graaff-based concept and then pivoted to a pulsed-discharge platform better suited to prototype control, measurement, and repeatable testing.
What the first concept tried to do
The original idea was to use a Van de Graaff generator to create a strong high-voltage discharge for CO₂ dissociation. That phase helped define the project goal, but it also showed that high voltage alone is not the same as controllable and measurable energy delivery.
- Discharge behavior was harder to regulate and measure consistently
- Open-air behavior was not ideal for repeatable chamber testing
- Safety and controllability pushed the team toward a different electrical approach
What that phase contributed
Even though the Van de Graaff path was set aside, it clarified the real design requirements for the capstone: controllability, repeatability, safer staged bring-up, and a build that could be measured instead of only energized.
- High voltage by itself was not enough
- The project needed a chamber-based test platform
- Measurement readiness became a design requirement
Why the pulsed approach made more sense
The current direction uses pulsed high-voltage discharge because it is more practical to build, easier to tune, and better suited for structured chamber testing. It also gives a clearer path toward shorter pulse operation later, even though true nanosecond pulses are not yet being achieved in the current build.
Technical Basis
Why pulsed discharge is the target direction
The current engineering direction is based on the idea that short-pulse, non-equilibrium plasma behavior is more promising for controlled CO₂ excitation than a purely thermal, open-air high-voltage discharge.
Working theory
- Very short pulses can direct energy into excitation rather than only bulk heating
- Electrode geometry, repetition rate, and pulse behavior all affect the discharge regime
- The prototype is intended to map operating behavior first, then refine performance
- Nanosecond-scale operation remains a design goal, not an achieved result in the current hardware
Vibrational-state background
This figure supports the shift away from a more thermal approach and toward a pulsed-discharge strategy.
Chamber Development
Current chamber direction
The chamber is designed around a defined discharge region, a controlled gas path, and a geometry that can be adjusted as testing improves.
Current chamber goals
- Create a consistent spark region inside a contained bench-scale setup
- Route CO₂ through the discharge region in a repeatable way
- Keep the chamber modular enough to change geometry and spacing
- Support continued iteration as electrical behavior becomes better understood
Current chamber notes
- The setup is integrated into a microwave-based enclosure used as a Faraday-cage-style housing
- Gas is routed from the cylinder, across the spark region, and onward into the analyzer path
- The chamber exists as real hardware and has already been used in preliminary discharge testing
- Further chamber refinement is still expected as the electrical system improves
StormFlask concept
Concept render used to communicate the chamber direction and intended layout.
Bench integration
Integration of the chamber and supporting hardware during development and testing.
HV Development
HV system and support hardware
The present HV system uses an ESP32-S DevKit, a switching stage, transformer-based HV generation, and support hardware for lighting and gas-control functions.
Electrical system notes
- Transformer power is currently supplied at 6 V and 2.5 A for bench testing
- The ESP32-S DevKit is used for PWM control and attempted MFC data handling
- One buck converter powers the internal LED “work light” at 10 V
- One adjustable buck converter sets the MFC control voltage to about 1.6 V
- The MFC control-and-logging path did not end up working fully reliably in the current build
What this stage still needs
- More reliable flow-control behavior and more dependable logged data
- Better characterization of pulse width, repetition, and transformer behavior
- Cleaner integration between control, HV delivery, and the chamber load
- Further refinement if the team wants to move closer to shorter-pulse operation
Current circuit diagram
Electrical architecture used for the present bench prototype.
HV spark-gap output
Real discharge output from the current HV setup during bench testing.
Preliminary Results
Analyzer readings so far
Early testing has moved beyond spark generation alone. CO₂ has been routed through the chamber during discharge, and the handheld analyzer produced a measurable CO reading.
What was observed
- CO₂ was run through the chamber during discharge testing
- After roughly 30 seconds to 1 minute of runtime, the analyzer showed CO readings
- The reading peaked at around 50 ppm of CO
- This is encouraging, but it is still a preliminary observation, not a final validated result
Why this is still preliminary
The handheld analyzer was useful for an early indication, but it is not the final validation method for the project. The result now needs to be repeated under better-controlled conditions and compared against stronger gas-analysis tools.
- Repeatability still needs to be demonstrated
- Flow-control reliability still needs improvement
- Gas chromatography or mass spectrometry would give stronger confirmation
Roadblocks
What limited the current build
The main limitations explain why the current results are still preliminary and why the next phase is focused on reliability instead of bigger claims.
Pulse limitation
Nanosecond pulse operation is still the goal, but it is not yet achievable in the current setup because of the PWM/control limitations of the present hardware.
MFC reliability
The mass flow controller path was intended to support control and logged data, but the sensing/control chain did not work fully reliably in the current build.
Validation limits
The handheld analyzer gave a useful preliminary result, but higher-confidence gas-analysis tools are still needed before stronger claims can be made.
Next Steps
What comes next
The next phase is about making the system more reliable, more measurable, and more defensible.
Refine pulse control
Improve electrical control and survivability so the discharge can be characterized more cleanly.
Fix flow control
Improve the MFC path and make gas-flow control and logging more dependable.
Improve validation
Use stronger gas-analysis equipment to verify whether the observed CO readings are repeatable and real.
Continue iterating
Refine chamber geometry, operating conditions, and system integration based on measured behavior.
Safety
Safety and controls
High-voltage testing is treated as its own subsystem. Safety procedures, enclosure choices, staged bring-up, and documented changes are part of the engineering process.
Electrical safety
Safe operation requires controlled power-up, clear grounding strategy, defined roles during testing, and careful documentation of any wiring change.
Gas and enclosure safety
The chamber is housed in a microwave-based enclosure acting as a Faraday-cage-style housing, and gas hardware must be handled with the same level of care as the HV system.
Practical control
One change at a time, documented settings, shielding, and staged bring-up matter just as much as the circuit itself.