Capacitor question...easy one

[Guiness]

I think I am losing my memory in my old age.

I cannot remember if you parallel 2 capacitors the voltage doubles with the capacitance? For example, if I parallel to 36,000uf 40V caps, do I get 72,000uf 80V? What do you get if not.

Thanks for the help, need to give the brain a kick start this moring

Guiness

[fdegrove]

Hi,

A Guiness too many, huh?

I cannot remember if you parallel 2 capacitors the voltage doubles with the capacitance?

N caps in // gives you n times the capacitance at equal voltage,so in your example that would 72,000uF/40V

Two caps in series: half the total capacitance but twice the voltage rating.
Using the same caps that would give you 36,000uF/80V.
Also you better use an equalising network to spread the voltage over the caps so each one only see its' own max. voltage rating.

Hope this helps,

[Christer]

Originally posted by Guiness
I think I am losing my memory in my old age.

I cannot remember if you parallel 2 capacitors the voltage doubles with the capacitance? For example, if I parallel to 36,000uf 40V caps, do I get 72,000uf 80V? What do you get if not.

Thanks for the help, need to give the brain a kick start this moring

Guiness

No, you still get 40V. You do get 72000uF though. The voltage
rating is the max voltage the capacitors can take. When in
parallel they both "see" the same voltage as one capacitor
alone would.

In theory, connecting them in series would give you a capacitor
with double voltage rating and half capacitance. In practice it is
not safe to do so without adding resistors to make sure the
voltage is divided equally between the capacitors.

[Guiness]

Guiness

[Christer]

You beat me to it Frank. It does seems though that we agree
on something for once.

[fdegrove]

Hi,

You beat me to it Frank. It does seems though that we agree

LOL.

Christer, in all earnest, I think we agree on a lot more than what you seem to think.

Cheers,

[Christer]

Originally posted by fdegrove
Hi,



LOL.

Christer, in all earnest, I think we agree on a lot more than what you seem to think.

Cheers,

I agree to that too.

I guess it is easier to remember disagreements, since they are
more interesting than agreements.

[fdegrove]