Van de Graaff generator

Van de Graaff generator, or electrostatic generator, device for generating a high voltage charge, important in the study of nuclear power. Invented in the 1930s by Robert Van de Graaff, the machine operates by carrying electrical charges from a collection of high-voltage points on a moving belt into a hollow metal casing. A metallic brush transports the charge to the surface of the casing, and as the charge accumulates, the voltage increases.

See also: Particle accelerator; Van de Graaff, Robert Jemison.