what are capacitators? 5

[cupid11213]

i know this is stupid , but can you guys please explain to me what capasitators are? and what you guys mean by bulging capasitators.thank you guys very much.

Luis

Some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, while others wonder what happened.

 

[BadBigBen]

Some info:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/capacitor.htm

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/caps/caps.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor

Bulging:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=195

http://www.motherboardrepair.com/images/BE6II_bad_caps_1.jpg

http://www.motherboardrepair.com/images/BadCaps2.jpg

http://www.motherboardrepair.com/images/BadCaps3.jpg

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[cupid11213]

thanks Ben.

I'm sorry for taking your time i would have googled it but i am at work right now, and i can't access all sites.

I thank you very much.

Some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, while others wonder what happened.

 

[BadBigBen]

No biggy...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[BadFrog]

Well so far today I have read, "capasitators", and "Motherdrives" lmao sometimes this site can be quite humorous!

The references you read about bulging capacitors or usually related to this:

http://www.badcaps.net

Cheers!

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[gbaughma]

Here is the easiest way to explain a capacitor. (SOMEONE had better like this analogy... lol)

A capacitor can do two things; it can store up power and let it all out at once, or it can "smooth" power. Here's the easiest way to think of it. (In fact, most electricity can be explained with a water analogy...)

You've got an above-ground swimming pool. That is the capacitor.

You can fill it, one bucket at a time, until it's full, then burst the pool, releasing all the water at once. That's the capacitor discharging; a lot of current all at once (current...water... think about it folks.

OR... you can put a small hole at the bottom of the pool... you can continue to dump water (surges) into the top of the pool, but the pinhole will regulate the water coming out in a steady stream. This is how capacitors would supress surging.

Either way, a capacitor can be compared to an above-ground pool.... either letting out all of the water at once, or regulating it, acting as a "buffer", absorbing surges and controlling the output.

I hope *that* one ranked a star.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[gbaughma]

... next week, the difference between voltage and current, by using water as an analogy again.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[Sympology]

Followed by the Carbon Cycle and global warming as a bucket and hole...

Better stop now, losing the plot

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[IslandCustom]

And I thought capasitators were similar to Idaho taters.

 

[gbaughma]

Of course, in a Television set, we always referred to the flyback (which is a big transformer/capacitor setup) as the "High Voltage Rectum-fryer" (rectifier)

hehe.....

(And yes, it is... I took 35KV up one arm, across my chest, and down the other once.... BZZZZZZZZZZZZT! It certainly explains a few things to you fine readers about me though, doesn't it?



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[BadFrog]

True story: My uncle who used to work on Television's for a living was working on a rather large old CRT when he accidentally brushed his hand accross the flyback transformer. His arm was bent 90* at the elbow and the current shot up his arm and literally blew a hole through the skin on his elbow. Ouch!

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy"
Albert Einstein

 

[cupid11213]

gbaughma

nice anology i thought it was very creative, thanks guys you have expanded my knowledge a lot.

cheers.

Luis

Some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, while others wonder what happened.

 

[gbaughma]

Just to follow up (for those who care)... here are some other electric/water analogies that help out.

Voltage vs. Current - A sprayer on a garden hose has a lot of voltage... fast-moving, but not much pressure behind it. A river, on the other hand, has a lot of current; lots of pressure behind it but not a lot of speed of flow. This works with changes, too.... decrease the current (by running it over shoals), and you increase the voltage (the speed at which it moves) and vice-versa. Getting sprayed with a water hose won't kill you... lots of voltage, no current. Falling into a deep river can drag you under; lots of current, no voltage.

A transistor can be compared to a lock on a dam. You've got all that potential current/voltage sitting behind the gate. Something you couldn't hold back by yourself, certainly. But, using the levers or worm gears necessary to open the gate, you let that water out. So... a transistor takes a smaller control signal (operation of the gate) to allow the main current through.

A resistor is, of course, just a restriction in the hose/pipe/whatever that water is flowing through. The more resistance (the smaller the opening), the less voltage and/or current can get through.

A diode simply allows voltage to go one direction, and not another. A backflow valve.

As with water, voltage and current are interchangeable. If you have something that draws 10 ampres of current at 12 volts (it takes 10 units of "push" at a certain pressure to work), then it will take 5 ampres of current at 24 volts. And vice-versa. It would take 20 ampres of current at 6 volts. Think about it; if I have a hose and a sewer pipe, and I need to fill my swimming pool, which will fill it faster? More imporantly, if I slow down the speed of flow (voltage) in my sewer pipe, but have a lot of speed in my garden hose, *then* which will fill it faster?

This is why higher current loads in electricity need heavier guage wire. The wire, like the sewer pipe, needs to be able to handle the additional pressure without bursting.

OK... I'm done for now.. Hope you enjoyed the read.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg