Re: Series/Parallel Caps

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

Original poster: "Terry Fritz" <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>

Hi Hans,

"I" don't think it is a good idea to go across strings.  MMC caps can take
an internal short and dissipate their own stored energy, but if you have
more in parallel with it, it will surly fail right away.  I think the same
would generally hold true for any cap.

When you put the caps in series, "I" worry about the unequal voltages and
danger from caps not charging equally to the same value.  Thus, I always
recommend bleeder resistors of some sort across each cap to ensure the
voltage on each stays pretty even and to insure discharging when power is
removed.

So I would go for many isolated strings and then connect them in parallel
at the ends only.  This also allows you to select individual strings for
different values which can be very useful.

Cheers,

	Terry


At 06:04 PM 12/22/2000 -0900, you wrote:
>In the thread about capacitors, someone mentioned that they
>had four homemade caps in series-parallel.  This got me
>wondering whether it would be better to put yours caps in
>series first, then parallel the strings, or put them in
>parallel first, then series the paralleled caps. (Or maybe
>no one is following me?) The only difference is that if you
>parallel the caps first, they will be connected "across"
>whereas they will not if you put them in series first.  I
>read someone's (I think Terry's) info on MMCs and it was
>specifically stated not to connect "across".  Does this
>apply to only MMC or all types of caps and why?  Thanks to
>anyone who can clear this up for me.
>
>Hans
>
>P.S. I am close to finishing my small coil powered by two
>OBITs.  All it needs is capacitors.  Although it's a little
>late, I may ask Santa for caps to make an MMC.  It sure
>seems like to way to go.
>