A Van de Graaff generator creates static electricity. The current generated by a Van De Graaff generator remains the same, while the voltage changes according to the applied load. There are mainly two types of Van de Graaff generators: one that uses a high-voltage power supply for charging and one that uses belts and rollers. A Van de Graaff generator pulls electrons from the Earth, moves them along a belt and stores them on the large sphere. These electrons repel each other and try to get as far away from each other as possible, spreading out on the surface of the sphere. The Earth has lots of room for electrons to spread out upon, so electrons will take any Apr 29, 2014. Generator Spark. The Van de Graaff generator uses friction to "rub off" electrons, which stick to the belt until they are transferred to the sphere. The sphere must be very smooth in order for it to build up a significant charge sharp points concentrate the electric field, and bleed off the charge. Robert Jemison Van de Graaff, American physicist and inventor of the Van de Graaff generator, a type of high-voltage electrostatic generator that serves as a type of particle accelerator. This device has found widespread use not only in atomic research but also in medicine and industry. After A3sJl.