Can DC voltage be stepped up by some means as AC can be stepped up by using transformer?

Question

Can DC voltage be stepped up by some means as AC can be stepped up by using transformer?

Answer 1

The only way we have to do this is to put two power supplies in series.  If this is not possible, it must be stepped up by an inverter (converts DC to AC, steps it up, returns it to DC)

Answer 2

You can buy a dc to dc converter. These actually consist of an inverter (usually high frequency), transformer and rectifier so this is using ac. Depending on your voltage requirement you may get one fairly cheap.

Camera flashes or tazers use capacitors but this isn't practical to for constant power.

Answer 3

There are several ways:

1. Put cells in series to make batteries, batteries in series to further increase voltage.

2. Mechanical. In the old days, before electronics, they would run a DC motor off the input power. This is attached to a generator with the voltage you want to output. Well designed motor-generator combos can have efficiencies approaching 90%.

3. For small currents and voltages, such as dry cells, an electronic device called a charge pump can be used to double, triple, or quadruple voltage. It does this by charging capacitors by the input cell, then arranging the caps in series to increase voltage (but decreases current). These have efficiencies up to 90%.

4. Convert to AC, transform, and rectify. Switches (often transistors) are used to "chop" DC into generally square wave AC, preferred to be at high frequency. This goes through a transformer to increase voltage, and the output rectified with diode bridges back to DC with ripples. Filters reduce the ripple. Again, efficiencies can approach 90%. This is how solid state power supplies/drives/inverters work.