ELECTRICAL

TECHNOLOGY
 Objectives
Define the capacitor
Describe how capacitor works
Determine 5 types of capacitors
and their applications
Determine total capacitance in
series and parallel
 What is capacitor?
two parallel
metal plates
separated by an
Q insulator called
dielectric
V capacitor acts
as a charge
store
plates
Example 1.

Determine the p.d across a 4µF capacitor when charge

with 5mC.

Solution.

Given; C = 4 x 10-6F , and Q = 5 x 10-3

Formula: Q = CV
Then V = Q/C
= 5 x 10-3
4 x 10-6
= 5000/4
V = 1250V or 1.25KV
Example 2.
A direct current of 4 A flows into a previously uncharged 20µF
capacitor for 3ms. Determine the p.d between the plate.

Solution.
Given; I = 4A, C = 20 x 10-6F, t = 3 x 10-3s
Q = It
= 4 x (3 x 10-3)
= 12 mC

V = Q/C
= 12 x 10-3
20 x 10-6
= 600V

Hence the pd between the plates is 600V

 What is capacitor?
1. Device for the storage
of electric charge
2. A dielectric is a
material that is a good
insulator (incapable of
passing electrical
current), but is capable
of passing electrical
fields of force.
How it works?
negative polarity
larger number of
electrons.
positive polarity
The opposite plate
When a capacitor is
charged, energy is
stored in the
dielectric
material in the
form of an
electrostatic field.
 Types of capacitor
Multilayer ceramic capacitors
Polystyrene film capacitors
Ceramic capacitors
Electrolytic capacitors
Variable capacitors
Multilayer ceramic
Capacitor
has a many-
layered dielectric
small in size, and
have good
temperature and
frequency
characteristics
used to bypass the
high frequency to
ground
Polystyrene Film
capacitor
polystyrene film is
used as the
dielectric
not for use in high
frequency circuits
used well in filter
circuits or timing
circuits which run
at several hundred
KHz or less
Ceramic capacitor
constructed with
materials such as
titanium acid barium
used as the dielectric
can be used in high
frequency applications
used in circuits which
bypass high frequency
signals to ground
has the shape of a disk
Electrolytic capacitors
have polarity: +ve and
-ve electrode
very important which
way round they are
connected
1µF to thousands of µF
used as a ripple filter
in a power supply
circuit, or as a filter to
bypass low frequency
signals, etc.
Variable capacitors
Used for
adjustment of
frequency

used for radio

tuners
Types of characteristics Application
capacitor
Multilayer has a many-layered dielectric used to bypass the high
ceramic small in size, and have good frequency to ground
capacitors temperature and frequency

Polystyrene polystyrene film used as the used well in filter circuits or

film dielectric timing circuits which run at
capacitors not use in high frequency several hundred KHz or less
circuits
Ceramic constructed with materials used in circuits which
capacitors titanium acid barium used as bypass high frequency
the dielectric signals to ground
used in high frequency has the shape of a disk
applications

Electrolytic have polarity: +ve and used as a ripple filter in a

capacitors -ve electrode power supply circuit, or as
very important which way a filter to bypass low
round they are connected frequency signals, etc.
1µF to thousands of µF

Variable adjustment of frequency used for radio tuners

capacitors
 Applications
Capacitors are used to
store charge for high-
speed use.
Eg: electronic flash on a
camera.
Capacitors can also
eliminate ripples. If a
Flash capacitor from a line carrying DC voltage
point-and-shoot camera has ripples or spikes in
it, a big capacitor can
even out the voltage by
absorbing the peaks
and filling in the
valleys.
A capacitor can block
DC voltage.
 Summary
1. Capacitor is a device for the
storage of electric charge.
2. When a capacitor is charged,
energy is stored in the dielectric
material in the form of an
electrostatic field.

3. Capacitor is used to store charge

for high-speed use, eliminate
ripples and block DC voltage.
 Summary
CAPACITORS

DEFINITION TYPES APPLICATIONS

 Homework
Tantalum capacitors
Find the Electric Double
characteristic Layer capacitors
and application of
these capacitors Polyester film
capacitors
Polypropylene
capacitors
Mica capacitors
Metallized Polyester
Film capacitors
 Capacitors in
Series and Parallel
Capacitors in Series

1 / CS = 1 / C1 + 1 / C2 + 1 / C3 + ...

Capacitors in series
Capacitors in Parallel

CP = C1 + C2 + C3 + ...

Capacitors in parallel
 SERIES CAPACITOR
A series and parallel combinations of capacitor can be reduced to
a single capacitor.

1 1 1 1 1
   ......... 
Ceq C1 C2 C3 CN
(Note: Capacitors in series combine in the same manner as
resistors in parallel).
Capacitance of 3µF, 6µF and 12µF are connected in series
across a 350V supply.
Calculate:
a. the equivalent circuit capacitance
b. the charge on each capacitor
c. the p.d across each capacitor
c. Voltage across each capacitor

The voltage across the 3µF capacitor

V1 = Q/C1
= (0.6 x 10-3) / (3 x 10-6)
= 200V

The voltage across the 6µF capacitor

V2 = Q/C2
= (0.6 x 10-3) / (6 x 10-6)
= 100V

The voltage across the 12µF capacitor

V3 = Q/C3
= (0.6 x 10-3) / (12 x 10-6)
= 50V
 PARALLEL CAPACITOR
The equivalent capacitance of capacitors connected in parallel is
sim­ply the sum of the capacitances of the individual capacitors.

Ceq

Note : capacitors in parallel combine in the same manner

as resistors in series.
capacitance of the circuit as
shown in figure 4.1E.
Answer
Find the value of capacitor, C of the
circuit as shown in Figure 4.2E if the
equivalent capacitance equal to 8 F.
 Answer

10 12  C  8 
8 C eq   C 20 F
10  12  C  8 
Example 7

Capacitance of 1µF, 3µF, 5µF and 6µF are connected in parallel to

a direct voltage supply of 100V. Determine;
a. equivalent circuit capacitance
b. the total charge
c. the charge on each capacitor
Solution:

a. total capacitance
CT = C1 + C2 + C3 + C4
= (1 + 3 + 5 + 6)µF
= 15 µF

b. total charge
QT = CTV
= (15 x 10-6) x 100
= 1.5uC
c. The charge on each capacitor
C1 = 1 µF
Q1 = C1 x V = 1 x 10-6 x 100
= 0.1 mC

C2 = 3 µF
Q2 = C2 x V = 3 X 10-6 x 100
= 0.3 mC

C3 = 5 µF
Q3 = C3 x V = 5 x10-6 x 100
= 0.5 mC

C4 = 6 µF
Q4 =C4 x V = 6 x 10-6 x 100
= 0.6 mC
[Check: in parallel circuit
QT = Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + Q4
= (0.1 + 0.3 + 0.5 + 0.6)mC
= 1.5 mC ]
 References
Charles K. Alexander and Matthew
N.O. Sadiku, “Fundamental of
Electric Circuit,” 2000, McGraw-Hill
Edward Huges, “Electrical
Technology,” 8th Edition, Prentice
Hall
Muhammad H. Rashid, “Power
Electronics,” 2nd Edition, Prentice
Hall