Wowza

[Speakerguy]

Well, I managed to blow a 1kV resistor chain and a 3000V polypropylene cap today. The resistor popped right away, so then we hooked the system up sans the resistor (it was just a current sense that SHOULD have had only a few volts across it) and it ran like a champ for about 20 seconds 'til the capacitor failed. The capacitor failure was unspectacular, but the resistor chain sounded like a string of black cats going off. Everyone in the entire work bay came over to see what was going on.

Can't say what this was for since it's a work thing unfortunately, but that's the way to end a friday afternoon...

 

[Hero999]

Good for you.

Was it the voltage that killed the resistors or pure power?

Did they smell when they when up?

 

[House0Fwax]

Can't say what this was for since it's a work thing

Sounds like, " I've got a great story, however, I can't tell you about it."

 

[zevon8]

Right up there with one of my best: a data card that had about 30 tantalum decoupling caps in backwards... they do go bang like a string of firecrackers.

Electrolytics are my favorite though, especially the can launchers with the paper lint fluttering down like snow everywhere.

One guy I worked with years ago was leaning over a power board when an electrolytic went missle and caught him in the forehead. Left a nice mark, luckily we always wore safety glasses, coulda been blinded.

 

[j.p.bill]

Many moons ago, we had a big 50 volt supply for a big bunch of T-bar relays. The 750,000 uF filter cap blew up. Not only did we have confetti, the sheet metal sides of the PS were blown off. Electrolytics are awesome when they generate steam inside.

 

[things]

they generate steam inside.

i was playing around with a computer power supply quite a while ago, i had it plugged in and running, then i found a switch on the back, so i flicked the switch then all this steam started shooting out of the power supply. it filled my room with fog very quickly, i then found out that i switched it to operate on 115 volts whereas i had it plugged into 240 volts

 

[Speakerguy]

The supply for this was limited to 30mA at a few kV. Under previous test conditions we were running at 1.5kVrms with only a few volts developed across the sense resistors (very undersized for safety as that was the initial test). I think we inadvertently made a highly resonant circuit this time around. The resistors went bang as soon as we powered it up. They each blew out the side of the heatshrink tubing that enclosed the chain. We cut open the heatshrink with an exacto knife and all the resistors just fell in half with charred stumps attached to each lead.

The cap failure was unimpressive. I saw some things on the scope that I believe were dielectric failures during the 20s or so that it ran. After that the cap was mildly warm to the touch, something I have absolutely never seen in a film cap....

BTW, I would have liked to have seen those tant's go I've seen electros blow apart but I hear with tantalums you get flames and all.

 

[j.p.bill]

There's all sorts of ways to make bangs. I was once trying to get the pins unstuck on a stamp perforator with a spray lube - not WD-40. It used propane for the propellant, so when I hit the switch to make it go, the whole thing went bang with a big flash there on the bench. After I was sure all body parts were still there, I noticed that all the chad had come loose. Too bad the pins were still stuck.

 

[Hero999]

I've distroyed a tantalum and it was pretty boring, it just melted into a big sticky blob.

 

[Andy1845c]

I havn't managed to blow a cap up yet, but a few weeks ago I hooked an LM317 up wrong and it got so hot it smoked. I let it cool off, hooked it up correctly, and it still worked..... Don't know if I trust it anymore though..

 

[RODALCO]

A blew a 7812 on AC by accident a while back, BANG !! only 3 legs remained. Top blew off TO220 casing in pieces.
They don't like AC.

 

[Souper man]

I was building a 12v regulator for my school, and I found a wall mart that output 24v. So i connected 7812 up wrong, and diddnt know. I then turned it on and...

Nothing happened!

 

[bryan1]

I bought a heap of electronic stuff from a bloke including some kits he'd made. One kit was a 555 timer based kit and for some reason he used a green wire for the postive and red for the negative. Anyway I powered it up with 12 volts and with the wires backwards and the next thing the top of the 555 was hitting the ceiling.