Electrical – High Voltage ZVS Driver

zvs

I built my first ZVS driver a while ago and had some fun making big arcs before I blew up the mosfets trying to make some alterations for induction heating. When it comes to this stuff I dont know exactly whats going on, but I know how to put it together well enough from a diagram.
So, I'm going to build another ZVS driver and I'm wondering, if I get IGBT's rated at 900V and about 30A, increase the capacitance, the inductance of the choke, and the number of turns on the primary would I be able to rectify 120VAC to about 170VDC (with smoothing caps) and run it all with no transformer?
I know IGBT's need lower frequencies, so I figure upping the capacitance and number of turns on the primary will lower the frequency and I'm hoping that more inductance in the choke will limit the current input at 170VDC.
Everything i see on line says the voltage in the tank circuit is about 3-4 times the supply so i figure 900V for the IGBT should do it. Im just not sure about the current. would 20-30A be enough? I cant draw more than 15 with out tripping the breaker.

Am I on the right page here? I just dont want to order all this stuff and blow it up as soon as I turn it on.

(I have a transformer that can put out 48V and the shorted secondary current is 10A, but with my first ZVS it would not draw more than about 2 amps. Not until i made the alterations and then it was pulling about 8A and it made some funny sounds and POP! there got the mosfets)

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Thanks for the help!

Best Answer

Saturation in your RF isolation inductor is the likely cause of the midget failure. Saturation results in high currents with high drain voltages present.