safe capacitor discharge times ? (fwd)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:00:06 +0100
From: Chris Swinson <list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: safe capacitor discharge times ?

Hi all,

Was thinking today, Electrolytic capacitor and current ratings. Of course if 
you wack a screw driver across it, will discharge faster than capacitor 
rating (10amps is about as good as I have seen, maybe 1amp for smaller 
values), capacitor will be damaged in anycase trying to give a large high 
peak amp pulse, could heat up or even explode...

so onto my question, if I have a pulse of 100amps, but the rise time is only 
1amp per uS, instead of a 100amp rated capacitor, could a 1amp one be used 
instead ? It would in effect draw 1amp for 100uS for example but has passed 
100amps in total.

Cheers,
Chris