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Different types Capacitor Introduce

A capacitor，formerly known as condenser，is a passive electronic component consisting of a pair of conductors separated by a dielectric insulator. When there is a potential difference voltage across the conductors, a static electric field develops in the dielectric that stores energy and produces a mechanical force between the conductors. An ideal capacitor is characterized by a single constant value, capacitance, measured in farads. This is the ratio of the electric charge on each conductor to the potential difference between them.

Capacitors are widely used in electronic circuits for blocking direct current while allowing alternating current to pass, in filter networks, for smoothing the output of power supplies, in the resonant circuits that tune radios to particular frequencies and for many other purposes.

There are a very, very large variety of different types of capacitor available in the market place and each one has its own set of characteristics and applications from small delicate trimming capacitors up to large power metal-can type capacitors used in high voltage power correction and smoothing circuits. Like resistors, there are also variable types of capacitors which allow us to vary their capacitance value for use in radio or “frequency tuning” type circuits.

Commercial types of capacitor are made from metallic foil interlaced with thin sheets of either paraffin-impregnated paper or Mylar as the dielectric material. Some capacitors look like tubes, this is because the metal foil plates are rolled up into a cylinder to form a small package with the insulating dielectric material sandwiched in between them. Small capacitors are often constructed from ceramic materials and then dipped into an epoxy resin to seal them. Either way, capacitors play an important part in electronic circuits so here are a few of the more “common” types of capacitor available.

Understand the use of capacitance over the following, we will do several of the more common capacitor described in detail .

Electrolytic Capacitors

These are the most popularly used capacitors which have a wide tolerance capacity ((-)50% – (+)100%). An electrolytic capacitor consists of two plates (made of aluminum or tantalum) which are wound around each other. The dielectric filled between these plates is mostly a thin layer of oxide (less than 10 microns). The two popular kinds of electrolytic capacitors that are available in the market are aluminum and tantalum electrolytic capacitors. Electrolytic capacitors are polarized and hence proper care must be taken when fixing them in electronic circuits. If connected incorrectly, these capacitors may get damaged.

Usage: Electrolytic capacitors have a large capacitance value and hence are widely used as coupling capacitors in audio applications and in smoothing applications for power supplies to reduce ripple voltages.

Dielectric Capacitors

These are the simplest form of capacitors which contain a set of moving plates. These plates mesh with another set of fixed plates. The position of the moving plates with respect to that of the fixed plates determine the capacitance generated.

Usage: Dielectric capacitors are widely used in tuning transmitters and receivers. They are also used in transistor radios.

Film Capacitors

Film capacitors are commonly available capacitors with a capacitance value of 5 pF – 100 pF (pico farad). The basic difference between these and the other capacitors is in the dielectric property. There are two kinds of film capacitors – radial lead type and axial lead type. The former one had metal film electrodes containing a dielectric layer between them whereas the latter one has metal sheets wrapped around the electrode with dielectric material sandwiched within the sheets. The most common film capacitors available in market are Mylar capacitor, polystyrene, polypropylene and Teflon capacitors.

Usage: Film capacitors are mainly used in devising circuits for harmonic filtering and reactive energy compensation.

Ceramic Capacitors

These capacitors are also known as disc capacitors. Ceramic capacitors are made by coating the sides of a ceramic disk with silver. One can make both low capacitance and high capacitance in ceramic capacitors by changing the thickness of the ceramic disc used. For low capacitance values, a ceramic disc (3 – 6 mm ) can be used. Ceramic capacitors usually have a high dielectric constant and show non linear changes in capacitance value when exposed to high temperatures, as they are non polarized devices. Their voltage ratings are usually low and capacitance value ranges between a few picofarads to 1 micro farad.

Usage: Ceramic capacitors are used as bypass capacitors in decoupling circuits.

Hope the above piece of information has helped in understanding the types of capacitors. All the above listed capacitor types are used in almost all industrial applications based on electromagnetism, be it coupling and decoupling circuits or smoothing the power supplies. Capacitors are like storage wells of energy, where the stored energy is called voltage. Even the door bell of your home has a capacitor. If you are interested in knowing how does a computer memory work, then you must surely know how a capacitor works first! This is how this tiny component serves a big purpose in this electronically run world today.

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