Capacitors Blog

Suntan Technology Company Limited
---All Kinds of Capacitors

This is an effective resistance that is used to describe the resistive parts of the impedance of certain electronic components. The theoretical treatment of devices such as capacitors and inductors tends to assume they are ideal or "perfect" devices, contributing only capacitance or inductance to the circuit. However, all (non-superconducting) physical devices are constructed of materials with nonzero electrical resistance, which means that all real-world components contain some resistance in addition to their other properties. A low ESR capacitor typically has an ESR of 0.01 Ω. Low values are preferred for high-current, pulse applications. Low ESR capacitors have the capability to deliver huge currents into short circuits, which can be dangerous.

For capacitors, ESR takes into account the internal lead and plate resistances and other factors. An easy way to deal with these inherent resistances in circuit analysis is to express each real capacitor as a combination of an ideal component and a small resistor in series, the resistor having a value equal to the resistance of the physical device.

Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors

A super capacitor is also known as a double-layer capacitor. It polarizes an electrolytic solution to store energy electro statically. Though it is an electrochemical device, no chemical reactions are involved in its energy storage mechanism. This mechanism is highly reversible, and allows the ultra capacitor to be charged and discharged hundreds of thousands of times.

A super capacitor can be viewed as two non reactive porous plates, or collectors, suspended within an electrolyte, with a voltage potential applied across the collectors. In an individual super capacitor cell, the applied potential on the positive electrode attracts the negative ions in the electrolyte, while the potential on the negative electrode attracts the positive ions. A dielectric separator between the two electrodes prevents the charge from moving between the two electrodes.

When used in a direct-current or DC circuit, a capacitor blocks the flow of current through it, but when it is connected to an alternating-current or AC circuit, the current appears to pass straight through it with little or no resistance. If a DC voltage is applied to the capacitors conductive plates, a current flows charging up the plates with electrons giving one plate a positive charge and the other plate an equal and opposite negative charge. This flow of electrons to the plates is known as the Charging Current and continues to flow until the voltage across both plates (and hence the capacitor) is equal to the applied voltage VC At this point the capacitor is said to be fully charged with electrons with the strength of this charging current at its maximum when the plates are fully discharged and slowly reduces in value to zero as the plates charge up to a potential difference equal to the applied supply voltage and this is show below.

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Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors

Variable capacitors are mostly used in radio tuning circuits and they are sometimes called 'tuning capacitors'. They have very small capacitance values, typically between 100pF and 500pF (100pF = 0.0001µF). The type illustrated usually has trimmers built in as well as the main variable capacitor.

Many variable capacitors have very short spindles which are not suitable for the standard knobs used for variable resistors and rotary switches. It would be wise to check that a suitable knob is available before ordering a variable capacitor.

Variable capacitors are not normally used in timing circuits because their capacitance is too small to be practical and the range of values available is very limited. Instead timing circuits use a fixed capacitor and a variable resistor if it is necessary to vary the time period.

Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors

Charging and discharging occurs by the absorption and release reaction of ions in the electric double-layer which is formed between the electrode layer and the electrolyte layer. Gold Capacitors are also called Electric Double Layer Capacitors.

Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors 

When clouds drift through the sky, ice particles inside them rub against the air and gain static electrical charges—in just the same way that a balloon gets charged up when you rub it on your jumper. The top of a cloud becomes positively charged when smaller ice particles swirl upward (1); the bottom of a cloud becomes negatively charged when the heavier ice particles gather lower down (2). The separation of positive and negative charges in a cloud makes a kind of moving capacitor!

As a cloud floats along, the electric charge it contains affects things on the ground beneath it. The huge negative charge at the bottom of the cloud repels negative charge away from it, so the ground effectively becomes positively charged (3). The separation of charge between the bottom of the cloud and the ground beneath means that this area of the atmosphere is also, effectively, a capacitor.

Over time, enormous electrical charges can build up inside clouds. If the charge is really big, the cloud contains an enormous amount of electrical potential energy (it has a really high voltage). When the voltage reaches a certain level (sometimes several hundred million volts), the air is transformed from being an insulator into a conductor, and electricity will flow through it as though it were a metal wire, creating a giant spark better known as a bolt of lightning (4). The cloud behaves like a flash gun in a camera: the huge electrical energy stored in its "capacitor" is discharged in an instant and converted into a flash of light.

Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors

The size of a capacitor is measured in units called farads (F), named for English electrical pioneer Michael Faraday (1791–1867). One farad is a huge amount of capacitance so, in practice, most of the capacitors we come across are just fractions of a farad—typically microfarads (thousandths of a farad, written μF), nanofarads (thousand-millionths of a farad written nF), and picofarads (million millionths of a farad, written pF). Supercapacitors store far bigger charges, sometimes rated in thousands of farads.

Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors

When reading schematics, repairing radios and buying capacitors, you often must convert between uF, nF and pF.

Paper and electrolytic capacitors are usually expressed in terms of uF (microfarads). Short forms for micro farad include uF, mfd, MFD, MF and UF. Mica capacitors are usually expressed in terms of pF (micromicrofarads) (picofarads).

Short forms for micromicrofarads include pF, mmfd, MMFD, MMF, uuF and PF. A pF is one-millionth of a uF. In between a pF and a uF is a nF which is one-one thousands of a uF. Converting back and forth between uF, nF and pF can be confusing with all those darn decimal points to worry about. Below is a uF - nF- pF conversion chart.

+/-5%(J), +/-10%(K), +/-20%(M)The letter after the marking often indicates the tolerance.

Example:101K would be 100pf, +/-10%

When You Are Tired, Do You Get a Headache Converting Picofarads to Microfarads?
Maybe this will help you.

Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors

A vacuum variable capacitor uses a high vacuum as the dielectric instead of air or other insulating material. This allows for a higher voltage rating and/or capacitance value using a smaller total volume. In addition to the higher voltage rating a vacuum dielectric greatly reduces the chance of arcing between the plates. There are several different designs in vacuum variables, the most common geometry of the capacitor plates is usually inter-meshed concentric cylinders. The meshed cylinders are contained within a glass or ceramic vacuum envelope, similar to an electron tube. A metal bellows is used to maintain a vacuum seal while allowing positional control for the moving parts of the capacitor.

Common Applications

Vacuum variable capacitors are commonly used in high voltage applications 5000 volts(5kV) and above. They are used in equipment such as high powered broadcast transmitters, Amateur radio RF Amplifiers and large Antenna tuners.

Other Variations

A fixed value vacuum capacitor. Other variations of vacuum capacitors include fixed value capacitors. Fixed value capacitors are designed very much like the variable versions with the exception of an adjustment mechanism.

Comparison

When compared to other variable capacitors vacuum variables tend to be more precise and more stable. This is due to the vacuum itself. Because of the sealed chamber the dielectric constant remains the same over a wider range of operating conditions. With air Variable capacitors the air moving around the plates may change the value slightly; often it’s not much but in some applications is enough to cause undesirable effects. Another common problem with air variables is dust and insects. Dust collected on the plates or a curious insect can raise havoc. A wandering spider is bound to make fireworks with the open frame design used on most air variable capacitors.

Vacuum variable capacitors are generally more expensive than Air Variable Capacitors this is primarily due to their design and the materials used. Although most use copper and glass some may use other materials such as ceramics and metals such as gold and silver. Vacuum variables also vary in adjustment mechanisms which range from course to fine.

Suntan is a Hong Kong based manufacturer of Ceramic Capacitors. Including High Voltage Ceramic Capacitors, Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors, Ceramic Disc Capacitor, Mini Type Ceramic Capacitors etc.

Suntan Technology Company Limited
----All Kinds of Capacitors

Suntan pictures of Capacitors. Notice that all these capacitors have two wires coming out of them, one attached to each plate.

Suntan is well established and specializes in service and quality with an extensive export and import network. We provide quick turn around for our customers all over the world. Almost 30 years experience with all types of passive components using good materials, state of the art equipment and technology and ongoing QC coupled with extensive R & D assure our customers of the best quality and on time delivery.

Suntan offer many kinds of capacitors. Don’t hesitate to send us inquire to sales@suntan.com.hk .We will show you good quality and best price.