AC-to-DC power conversion devices, comprised of

diodes and capacitors, that produce a high

potential DC voltage from a lower voltage AC
source. Multipliers are made up of multiple stages.
Each stage is comprised of one diode and one
capacitor.
employed to maintain a relatively low transformer
peak voltage while stepping up the peak output
voltage to two, three, four, or more times the peak
rectified voltage.

 Types of Voltage Multipliers

Depending on the output
voltage
1) Voltage Doubler
2) Voltage Tripler
3) Voltage Quadrupler

 produces a d.c. voltage almost

twice the output value of the
input a.c. voltage
2 types:
1) Half-Wave
2) Full-Wave

(+ cycle)
D1 is conducting /
forward-biased
D2 is reverse-biased
C1 is charging

VC1 = VP 0.7V

(- cycle)
D2 is conducting /
forward-biased
D1 is reverse-biased
C2 is charging

VC2 = 2Vp

VC1 = VP

(+ cycle)
D1 is conducting /
forward-biased
D2 is reverse-biased
C1 is charging

VC1 = 2VP

(- cycle)
D2 is conducting /
forward-biased
D1 is reverse-biased
C2 is charging

(+ cycle)
C1 charges to Vp through
D1

(- cycle)
C2 charges to 2Vp
through D2

(Next + cycle)
C3 charges to 2Vp
through D3

(+ cycle)
C1
charges to
Vp
through
D1

(- cycle)
C2
charges to
2Vp
through
D2

(Next + cycle)
C3 charges to
2Vp through
D3

(Next - cycle)
C4 charges to
2Vp through
D4

 Originally used for television CRT's,

voltage multipliers are now used for
lasers, x-ray systems, traveling wave
tubes (TWT's), photomultiplier tubes,
ion pumps, electrostatic systems, copy
machines, and many other applications
that utilize high voltage DC.

TV cascade (green) and flyback

transformer (blue).
This CockcroftWalton voltage multiplier was
part of one of the early particle accelerators
responsible for development of the atomic
bomb.