BIG Capacitors

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: BIG Capacitors
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 23:21:11 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net


----------
From:  Edward V. Phillips [SMTP:ed-at-alumni.caltech.edu]
Sent:  Thursday, February 19, 1998 1:51 PM
To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject:  Re:  BIG Capacitors

"How does the peak current from this type of stack compare to real pulse
discharge caps? It seems like it should be much lower. My 20kv 14mfd caps have
only .035uH inductance.

jim heagy"

	Have no idea, but suspect it might reach a thousand amps
or so on dead short circuit, based on an apparent ESR of much
less than an ohm for each capacitor.  Forgot to mention that the
capacitors will last about one discharge into an inductive load
unless each one is paralleled with a huge diode to prevent
reverse voltage from appearing across the capacitor.  I seem
to remember from the can crusher pictures that the coil had
only a few turns and hence a low L/C ratio, so that probably
these capacitors wouldn't begin to hack it.  They do work fine
in a magnet charger, however.

Ed