PK-A22F high voltage module teardown with schematic

I was kinda hoping this was a truly standard module that I could recommend for building DIY ionisers, but now I'm aware that there are other variants with the same name. These modules are suitable for other applications requiring high voltage DC at very low current. But the high voltage should always be regarded as being referenced to mains voltage.

The universal 110-220V voltage is really just fixed value resistors that get hotter when used with higher voltages. No problem, since we can stick a couple of sleeved quarter watt 18K resistors in series to help spread the dissipation when using above 200V.

The output voltage of these units is actually quite zesty compared to a classic ioniser, meaning they will potentially generate more charge in the air.

The principle of operation of an ioniser is that when a high DC voltage is applied to a sharp point it causes the air to take on a charge with respect to ground. That causes charged particles in the air to precipitate to surfaces in the room or makes them stick to filters in air cleaners.
A very slight electrical plasma (corona) discharge is also created at the ionisation tips, which results in creation of short-lived active air molecules as found in outdoor air, that have a deodorising and sterilising effect on the air as they revert back to stable molecules.

The use of carbon fibres is because they are very sharp and work well as ionisation emitters. Traditionally steel needles were used.

Here's a typical AliExpress listing for what looks like the same module:-

And one of the big spicy-mama ones, which appears to be universal voltage too:-

Here's a video about the big one, with a schematic:-

A video showing the construction of the voltage multiplier unit for 220 - 240V countries:-

And the Russian Nuclear Corporation Molecular Disruptor:-

If buying the modules from eBay the keywords anion module should work.

Be careful about buying 12V modules. Because they create a high electrostatic charge with respect to ground they can stress the insulation or cause flashovers inside standard power supplies. Not a problem on vehicles or off-grid accommodation with 12V and grounded chassis, but if using with isolated supplies the negative on the low voltage side will need grounded.

This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's algorithm quirks, allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.

#ElectronicsCreators

[gregorythomas]

Oh how I have missed these videos where Clive gets very excited!
I can even hear the giddiness in his voice when he talks about these nifty devices :)

[tt]

Wow, as an engineer, I now feel stupid for not knowing that caliper trick! Thanks Clive for sharing these things

[fazergazer]

The center finding caliper trick is priceless❤

[tonyweavers]

What a handy tip for finding the centres with a caliper. If I lived another hundred years I don't think I would have discovered that! I had to go and try it out immediately of course.

[mrsansen]

My mood improved hugely at the start. "I shall put this out of the way. /crash/ It is out of the way."


The day has been crap so far but this made everything look at least tolerable. Never change, Clive.

[johnj]

I've lived 77 years and never knew about the drilling centres procedure. Don't know why - it's common sense now I do know.

[bigern]

I like the S-shaped "plastic welder" scar on your workbench, I have many too, easily done

[chrishartley]

What good timing. 2 of these were delivered yesterday, 12v versions, for my vehicles' heater ducts. Now i just have to work out where to fit them, somewhere just after the fan I think.

[BillyNoMates]

tune in next week so see Big Clive build a 1 megawatt ion thruster....

[gydo]

The caliper trick is very useful, I have used it a lot. Just don't forget to zero it afterwards, or you'll be in for a bad time..

[KarldorisLambley]

alright lads. no relevance about the vid but i fancied chatting with chums. i saw a jeff geerling vid about radio and loved it, he got an amateur ham license, a technician license he called it. i thought wow that looks great. and on my 50th birthday a few days ago i decided to do a new thing.so i just booked a foundation exam for next week. i never realised radios were so ruddy interesting. i have read the course, (foundation license now, by alan betts). i can't wait to tell my mum i've passed an exam (a bloke looks at you via your webcam whilst you do it! pretty cool for only 35 quid)

[Stuartrusty]

I can remember when I was a child, my parents had an Amcor ioniser, took it apart when they were out once and found it had a 1:1 isolation transformer (240v UK) whose output was connected to a cockroft walton mutiplier and a couple of big 1 meg resistors to four steel needles mounted at the front top of the unit.
It also came with a small tester which was basically a neon bulb and a high voltage 10nF cap in parallel, mounted on a small PCB. To test the ioniser, one would hold one end of the parallel neon/cap between finger and thumb, and hold the other end a few cm away from the needles of the ioniser.
The result is the capacitor would charge to the neon striking voltage and the neon lamp would strobe about once a second. Probably would not be allowed to sell that sort of thing today, nanny state and all that.

[g.c.]

Ceramic capacitors have lower capacitance as the applied voltage increases. It is a characteristic of ceramic caps. Can be as low as 30% of rated capacitance at max voltage. Not all brands/series of cer. caps are created equal. Film capacitors maintain capacitance as voltage increases.

[Robothut]

Thank you for the caliper trick. I will use it all the time in my 3d printed projects.

[stewartpalmer]

Finding the center this way would make for a good expression in FreeCAD when making drawing to pad. Thanks for that.

[ThunderBassistJay]

I've been specialised in electronics for over 40 years, but I had never heard of a sidac. I looked it up and learned it's a kind of diac. 😀

[blendpinexus]

bought one of these a while back and modified my diy room air filtration system with it and now i'm changing the air filter a lot more often. but i am also sneezing a lot less.

[peterrockell]

Many years ago I built a voltage doubler style ioniser that I found in the Everyday Electronics magazine that used to be sold at the time. The way that you tested that was by wiring a ceramic cap across a neon bulb, hold onto one end and point the other at the emitters. If the ioniser was working the bulb would flicker 🙂

[BulletmanDoom]

I'm permanently charged up and get sparks flying off my hands whenever I wear insulated shoes and I get near a grounding source. I sent a beauty into my turntable tonearm today and it made some pop through the speakers. Mind you it's not as bad as through my earbuds when I forget to remove them before standing up. I'm going to set my head alight one of these days.

[kyleshady]

I had to replace an igniter in a 400w hps light the other day and decided to open up the failed one and it looked pretty much exactly like the module in your video