✔ Electrolytic Capacitor Working Voltage

Electrolytic Capacitor Working Voltage

- March 20, 2018

They can only be placed one way round in the circuit. The failure of electrolytic capacitors can be hazardous resulting in an explosion or fire.

Electrolytic Capacitor

Product Information Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitor

Capacitors Selection Guide Tech Notes Capacitors Tdk

This article is mainly aimed at people who want to repair or restore tube equipment but have no formal education in electronics as such or more specifically in high voltage power supplies.

Electrolytic capacitor working voltage. Normally they should be operated well below this value. Electrolytic capacitors are polarised ie. Applying a reverse polarity voltage or a voltage exceeding the maximum rated working voltage of as little as 1 or 15 volts can destroy the dielectric and thus the capacitor.

Care should also be taken not to exceed the rated working voltage. The capacitor shown in the lower picture is an electrolytic unit similar in size to the one above but with very different values of capacitance and working voltage. This both increases the capacitance because its effectively a high capacitance capacitor in series with a lower capacitance capacitor and somewhat limits the use since it limits the reverse voltage capability of the capacitor to around a volt for lower voltage capacitors and typically less than 10 of the working voltage.

The aluminum tantalum and niobium electrolytic capacitors work in similar manner. Some electrolytic capacitors formed to work at say 450v dc but used at 300v dc may re form to the lower voltage. Some precautions should an electrolytic capacitor be connected across a circuit with the polarity reversed the film will deform the capacitor becomes a good conductor very high current flows heat develops and the electrolyte boils and the capacitor will explode often with dire results.

The thinner dielectric layer gives it a much greater capacitance 20000 uf and a drastically reduced working voltage 35 volts continuous 45 volts intermittent. If they are connected incorrectly they can be damaged and in some extreme instances they can explode. Reading the capacitance value in the case of through hole capacitors the capacitance value as well as the maximum rated voltage is printed on the enclosure.

Working with electrolytic capacitors a beginners guide scope. The normal working range for most capacitors is 30 o c to 125 o c with nominal voltage ratings given for a working temperature of no more than 70 o c especially for the plastic capacitor types. An electrolytic capacitor is a polarized capacitor which uses an electrolyte to achieve a larger capacitance than other capacitor types.

When voltage is applied to the capacitor in such a way that the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the right side plate and the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the left side plate the capacitor starts charging.