High voltage pulse generator based on DC-to-DC boost converter with capacitor-diode voltage multipliers for bacterial decontamination

Abstract

High voltage pulse generators can be used effectively in water treatment applications, as applying a pulsed electric field on the infected sample guarantees killing of harmful germs and bacteria. In this paper, a new high voltage pulse generator with closed loop control on its output voltage is proposed. The proposed generator is based on DC-to-DC boost converter in conjunction with capacitor-diode voltage multiplier (CDVM), and can be fed from low-voltage low-frequency AC supply, i.e. utility mains. The proposed topology provides transformer-less operation which reduces size and enhances the overall efficiency. A Detailed design of the proposed pulse generator has been presented as well. The proposed approach is validated by simulation as well as experimental results.