A voltage tripler increases voltage from an electrical supply, but loses some power in the process. It consists of a half-wave rectifier and a voltage doubler made up of capacitors and diodes. It is commonly used in printers, copiers, bug zappers, and scientific instruments.
A voltage tripler is a device used to increase the voltage coming from an electrical supply. Most voltage triplers convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) as part of the amplification process. In theory, the tripler will increase this input voltage by a factor of three. In practice, however, the device needs to supply power to itself and therefore loses some voltage as it increases input power.
There are two main components of a voltage tripler. The first is a device called a half-wave rectifier that boosts the input voltage by half the total input. The second is a voltage doubler. This device takes the total input voltage plus the voltage added by the half-wave rectifier and doubles it. The resulting voltage output is, in theory, three times the input.
The circuit that makes up a voltage tripler is made up of capacitors and diodes. Capacitors are used to store energy and diodes to send it along the circuit. Voltage triplers consist of a number of these components. As energy passes through the tripler, each of the capacitors is used to power the next capacitor along the line. Some of the voltage passing through the tripler is lost as each capacitor discharges its voltage to power the next capacitor, which is why the final output of a voltage tripler is not three times the input but is significantly less.
Machines that require more voltage than an AC power supply can provide often include voltage boosters as part of their design. The most common types of voltage amplifiers are those that double, triple, or quadruple the input. Each of these multipliers can be used in a variety of different machines, although the voltage tripler is the most common of the three.
The most common use for a voltage tripler is to provide extra power to an electronic device. Printers and copiers often have a tripler, as do high-powered bug zappers. In the 1970s and 1980s, televisions were made with voltage triplers because the CRT required extra voltage to function properly. However, these triplers often short out when exposed to moisture, and modern TVs don’t use them. X-ray and some scientific instrumentation can also use voltage triplers to give these devices extra voltage.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
