Re: capacitor idea

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

Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <davep-at-quik-dot-com>


>Last night I was thinking and I got an idea about using multiple types 
>dielectrics in a capacitor. ( I'd like to take this moment to say, I'm an 
>amateur, I have no idea if any of this would work. Just thought it was 
>worth asking about.)
>What if you took 2 layers of something with a very high breakdown voltage 
>(maybe some type of spray on/ paint on high voltage insulation) and placed 
>a layer something with a high dielectric constant between the 2 high 
>voltage layers?  Could this result in a very small amount of space between 
>the plates of the capacitor, and a high dielectric constant, there for a 
>high capacitance and high break down voltage?
         There is a subtlety here.  The overall voltage

         will divide across the layers in nonobvious
         ways.
         If I Recall: the voltage across a given layer
         depends on the dissipation factor (or is it the
         dielectric constant?) and the thickness
         (especially for RF).  Rather than 'just the
         thickness'.   Put another way: the voltage
         Will Not end up Conveniently across the high
         withstand material...

         Compound/composite dielectric systems have been
         studied, and, sometimes, used in professional
         work, however their applications are tricky...
-- 
         best
         dwp