Capacitor Types

Capacitor

The capacitor, like a miniature rechargeable battery, has the ability or “power” to store energy in the form of an electrical charge that causes a potential difference (Static Voltage) through its plates. Capacitors come in a variety of sizes and shapes, ranging from very small capacitor beads that use resonance circuits to enormous power factor correction capacitors, but they always store charge. To put it another way, a capacitor is an electronic component that stores electrical charges. It consists of two conductors separated by a dielectric layer. When these plates are attached to a power source, they build electrical charges.

Capacitance

The capacitor’s impact is measured in capacitance. The proportion of electric charge Q to voltage V is known as capacitance.

C=Q/V 

C= Capacitance 

Q= Electric charge

V= Voltage

Classification of Capacitors

The types of capacitors available range from a small sensitive management capacitor to radio circuits that use an oscillator. Metal-can type capacitors with huge force are used in high voltage power modification and smoothing circuits.

The following is a classification of capacitor types based on their structure:

1. Fixed Capacitors
2. Variable Capacitors
3. Trimmer Capacitors

The following is a polarisation-based classification of capacitor types:

1. Polarised
2. Unpolarised

Polarised Capacitor:

A polarised capacitor, also known as an electrolytic capacitor, is an important component in an electrical circuit. This type of capacitor is used to get a high capacitive density.

Unpolarized Capacitor:

Unpolarized capacitors are preferred over full-energy capacitors. Because it is unaffected by inversion voltage, it can be used in pure AC circuits. They also find uses in DC circuits because they don’t have positive and negative closures. The unpolarized capacitor has a high repetition and a low spilling current.

Types of Capacitors

The mechanical groupings of capacitors are divided into two groups. Fixed capacitors have a fixed capacitance value. And variable capacitance esteem with variable capacitance.

A brief description of different capacitor types and their properties can be found below.

• Ceramic Capacitors: One of the most commonly used capacitors is a ceramic capacitor. Dielectric is the substance used in this capacitor type. Ceramic capacitors are also non-polar devices, which means they can be used in either direction in the circuit.

Ceramic capacitors are classified into three groups based on their accessibility:

• Leaded plate ceramic capacitors
• Surface mount multi-layered ceramic capacitors
• Microwave exposed lead-less plate ceramic capacitors

Ceramic capacitors are classified into the following classes based on their temperature range, temperature float, and resistance:

• Class 1: These capacitors are thought to be the most stable and have the most straight characteristics.
• Class 2: Although these capacitors are more successful in terms of volumetric efficiency, their precision and durability are questioned. They discover coupling and decoupling applications.
• Class 3: These capacitors are believed to be the most reliable and offer the most consistent performance.
• Film Capacitors: A polymer film, plastic film, or film dielectric is used to make film capacitors. The advantage of film capacitors is that they are inexpensive and can be used for an indefinite period of time. The film capacitor has a minor dielectric substance on one side and is metalized on the other. The film capacitor is folded into slender movies depending on the use. These capacitors can handle voltages ranging from 50 V to 2 kV.

The film capacitor is classified as follows, depending on the dielectric material employed and the application:

• Heavy-duty snubber capacitors
• SMD style capacitors
• Axial style capacitors
• Radial style capacitors
• Super Capacitors: The super capacitor is sometimes known as a “supercapacitor” or a “ultra-capacitor.” This capacitor is also one of the most common types of capacitors, with capacitance values ranging from hundreds to thousands of Farads. They’re common in automotive applications and in systems that need a memory hold-up supply.

Electrolytic Capacitors: Electrolytic Capacitor is a type of polarised capacitor. They can provide capacitance levels that are typically greater than 1F. Because they have a frequency limit of roughly 100 kHz, these capacitors are commonly utilised in low-frequency applications such as power supplies, decoupling, and audio coupling.

Electrolytic capacitors are categorised into three types:

• Aluminium electrolytic capacitors – aluminium oxide (dielectric).
• Tantalum electrolytic capacitors – tantalum pentoxide (dielectric).
• Niobium electrolytic capacitors – niobium pentoxide (dielectric).

1. Paper capacitors:  A fixed capacitor with paper as the dielectric material is known as a paper capacitor. The amount of electric charge that the paper capacitor stores is fixed. It consists of two metallic plates with paper serving as a dielectric material sandwiched between them.
2. Silver Mica capacitor: This capacitor type has a better level of stability than the others. They also have a high level of accuracy and minimal loss. Silver mica capacitors with maximum values of 1000 pF are commonly used in RF applications. Despite their utility, they are not as well-known as the other capacitors discussed in this article.
3. Glass capacitor: The dielectric of this capacitor is glass, hence the name. Due to their little loss, they have high levels of performance. Glass capacitors can also handle a lot of RF current. Glass capacitors are among the most costly capacitors on the market due to their structure and application.
4. Tantalum capacitor: This type of capacitor is termed polarised and has a very high capacitance level. Although they are excellent at high capacitance levels, they are not appropriate for strong ripple currents or voltages exceeding their operating voltage.
5. Polycarbonate capacitor: These capacitors have a very high tolerance, making them ideal for systems that require both high reliability and excellent performance. Polycarbonate capacitors are constructed in such a way that their capacitance value remains constant throughout time. They can also maintain their stability at temperatures ranging from -55°C to +125°C, which is a very large range. Polycarbonate capacitors, like silver mica capacitors, are not widely used.

Conclusion

A capacitor is an important component in any electronic or electrical circuit. As a result, the manufacture of various types of capacitors can range from thousands to millions every day. Each type of capacitor has its own set of advantages, disadvantages, functions, and applications. As a result, it’s critical to understand each type of capacitor before choosing one for a certain application. These capacitors range in size from tiny to enormous, and each variety has its own set of features. Small, weak capacitors are employed in radio circuits, while huge capacitors are utilised in smoothing circuits.