RE: caps

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Lau, Gary by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com>

Don't dismiss a cap just because it has a DC voltage rating.  The only
voltage rating on the label of a Maxwell pulse caps is a DC voltage, and
these have been known to be useful in Tesla coils!  

The problem is that "AC" by itself is not at all specific.  A motor run
cap has an AC voltage rating because it's assumed that it will run at
50/60 HZ -at-100% duty cycle.  For anything else, are we talking about 60
Hz and 100% duty cycle, 100KHz at 100% duty cycle, or 100KHz at some
small duty cycle?  The same cap would have very different ratings for
these different applications.

Gary Lau
MA, USA


Original poster: "BunnyKiller by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <bigfoo39-at-telocity-dot-com>

Tesla list wrote:


Hi John...

If it is rated for DC   then DC it is ...  the dielectric wont handle AC
and it will
go POOF or is it BANG?? ;)

the other DC caps Ive seen with the "dual" posts are "split" caps they
have 2
different "capacities" ... Full value and a portional value ( example ..
50uf  and
10uF ) but then again .... the posts could be the + and - posts and the
ground tab is
just that a ground fault tab ( in case the cap goes bad and arcs in the
case)

best bet is to get a cap tester and check across both posts for a
reading
and then
from each post to the case and see if you get a reading there and see
which
reading is
closest to the label rating....

Scot D


> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<Mildewhaus-at-aol-dot-com>
>
> Hi guys! Question,can a cap rated for d.c. work on a.c..Question 2, on
a big
> cap(weight app70 lbs.) that has a large porcelian terminal,and one
smaller
> porcelian terminal and a ground terminal.What is the use of the
smaller
> porcelian terminal. This cap is rated at 50kvdc. Thanks guys!
>                                                     john in nyc