Use Electromagnetic energy to crush a aluminium can?

Hi.. i am a electronic student from Malaysia and i am currently working on a project regarding on using the electromagnetic energy to crush a metal can. However, i have limited components that can be used during this project. Below is the proposed circuit:

The power supply is straightly connect from the AC power supply of our home using the plug.
Can give some idea whether the circuit can be worked? can the ac completely transform to dc before reaching the capacitor? some of my friends said it's dangerous as the capacitor might burst. I really need helpsss..

pingice,
Hope I have time to warn you before you test your given circuit.Considerable energy is stored in the capacitors, and the voltages and currents used in this circuit is potentially lethal. (You have not mentioned the mfd values of the capacitors)
[B]The capacitor should not be charged above about 80% of its rated voltage[B]
Before using your circuit you are adviced (?) to:-
1. Calculate the peak current that may you circuit produce . A special switch is needed.
2. provide bleeder resistors for the capacitors or an arrangement that shorts the capacitors through a low resistance when not in use.
3. Can may get ejected.
5. Use safety ground.
6. Calculate wire(or I say, tube) diameter of the coil properly.
7.Use long cable to operate
8. Take a good Life Insurance Policy with loss of limb coverage

---------- Post added at 01:18 ---------- Previous post was at 00:47 ----------

See another idea Can Crushing[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added at 01:22 ---------- Previous post was at 01:18 ----------

Besides the advice above...

1.

Consider installing a current-limiting resistor between the diodes and caps.

With no resistor, the diodes will need to be beefy enough to take a lot of amps. They'll be subjected to high inrush surge current at power-up (if the caps have no charge on them).

2.

The caps will be exposed to a peak voltage of 1.414 times 240 V.

This means they need to be rated for 340 V minimum.

the capacitor is 150uF and 240V, but seem like i need to replace it to a higher value, maybe around 400V? for the link u provided, all the voltage supplied is more than 1kV? the highest power supply available is only up to 30V in my electronic faculty. therefore, we can only use the power supply for our home, tat is 240V 50Hz. We need not to really crush the can into half or wat, we only need to show to lecturer that there is a little bit effect on the can, to prove the theory of electromagnetic. there is another group which work out on same topic, and they had successfully done it by only using the power supply of our home, 4 capacitor bank( 25mcrof 240 v) and the coil is from he lamp ballast. I have no idea how to do it using so little components. any comment?

---------- Post added at 13:43 ---------- Previous post was at 13:36 ----------


I will change my capacitor value, maybe around 400V. About the current limiting resistor, will it limit the current for the whole circuit? Because our idea is to produce a high current in a short duration to coil, to produce high electromagnetic energy to crush the can. Thx for ur advises. :)

The current limiting resistor will not be in the path of current to the coil.

Its value can be on the order of 10 k ohms. A 5 watt rating should be adequate (even though it may be subjected to higher amounts briefly).

Your caps will charge to 340 volts after several seconds. A rating of 400 V should be okay. Consider also adding a switch between the diodes and caps.

If you use only 150 uF then you can probably do without a current limiting resistor. I had the idea it takes more capacitance to crush a can. If you add capacitors then you'll most likely need the current limiting resistor.

Heed the warnings by papunblg (post #2). These types of experiments may cause explosions, pieces of metal shooting off at high velocity, sparks, etc. It seems surprising that an instructor would tell students to delve into these activities.

The webpage cited in post #2 speaks of reverse voltages going back into the caps. How much of a problem this will be depends on characteristics of your coil, etc.

I don't see how a lamp ballast can be wrapped around a can. Unless you unwind some wires from it. However they may be thin wires and not be able to carry the high current. So you might as well use ordinary wire to wrap around the can. It needs to be thick wire because you want minimal resistance. I have no experience crushing cans so I'm only surmising here.

I completely agree with the above responder that your teacher should be punished for ordering students to do dangerous experiments.

He should possibly do such experiment himself, and show the result to students looking from a safe place.

I think no "fine" electronics can do the requested effect. I would rather try a welding set, AC or DC, and wind a five-ten turn coil of a thick wire (5-6 mm diameter) around the can. Then by using the welding rod as usual, the current in the coil may (or may not) induce enough current pulse in the can to either launch it away from the coil, or even mechanically damage the can.

Shame on irresponsible teachers!

YIKES!!!! DON'T DO IT!!! VERY, VERY DANGEROUS stuff for a newbie to be working with. Maybe you should build it, but have your teacher turn it on while you stay at home.