Re: Power Factor Capacitor -- Was -- RE: schematics...AdamSmith's

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Power Factor Capacitor -- Was -- RE: schematics...AdamSmith's
From: "Ed Phillips" <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 12:46:02 -0700
Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Original Poster: "Bunnykiller" <bigfoo39-at-idt-dot-net>
> 
> > Actually, I've been told that Aluminum Electrolytic will work for a 120VAC
> > PFC cap.  These are inexpensive and very common.  And to head off criticism
> > that Aluminum electrolytic caps shouldn't be used in an AC circuit, I was
> > told by an Electrical Engineer (Technician?) who runs all the electrical
> > labs here at school.  He said that electrolytics can take the AC, just
not a
> > constant negative DC bias.
> >
> > Mark
> 
> hi Mark...
> 
> weird ...   several years ago i took a 220 WVDC -at- 3500 uF electrolytic
> cap and placed 120V AC across it      guess what happened ....   I'll
> never do that again ...   it was smelly  smokey and LOUD ...
> 
> Scot D

	Only way electrolytics will work at all on AC is to connect them in
series opposing (- to - or + to +).  Even then the losses will be high
and the actual capacitance value uncertain and variable.  "Motor
starting electrolytics" do just that, but are only good for a few
seconds of operation at a time.  Bottom line is that they are NO GOOD AT
ALL for power factor correction, and that they do indeed smell lousy
when they explode.

Ed