Definition of van de graaff generator Van de graaff generator

We found 3 definitions of van de graaff generator from 3 different sources.

What does van de graaff generator mean?

Noun
van de graaff generator - electrical device that produces a high voltage by building up a charge of static electricity
		electrostatic generator, electrostatic machine, Wimshurst machine, Van de Graaff generator
		electrical device a device that produces or is powered by electricity

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

van de graaff generator (Noun)
A device in which an electric charge is built up on a large spherical electrode by means of a rapidly moving belt.

A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic machine. It uses a moving belt to accumulate very high voltages on a hollow metal globe. The potential differences achieved in modern Van de Graaff generators can reach 5 megavolts. Applications for these high voltage generators include driving X-ray tubes, accelerating electrons to sterilize food and process materials, and accelerating protons for nuclear physics experiments. The Van de Graaff generator can be thought of as a constant-current source connected in parallel with a capacitor and a very large electrical resistance. It is named after the United States American physicist Robert Jemison Van de Graaff, who built the fist generators of this style in 1929.

van de graaff generator in sign language