The capicitor air vent Quest..

[Lampie]

Someone asked me this about the motor capicitor but I did't know the answer:
What comes out of the air vent(that should be upwards)if it's downwards?
A green monster maybe? :p

Martin

[Kat]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

Originally posted by Lampie:
Someone asked me this about the motor capicitor but I did't know the answer:
What comes out of the air vent(that should be upwards)if it's downwards?
A green monster maybe? :p

Martin

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, a blue monster. :p

[poplarpetey]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

What is all that crap that leaks out of the capacitor and into the wireway when they go bad?

Pete

[Mike Stalker]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

________________________________________
origonally posted by Pete
What is all that crap that leaks out of the capacitor and into the wireway when they go bad?
_________________________________________

Pete, you guessed it. Crap comes out when the capacitor thake a chit. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[TheGMan143]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

The actual name for it is "electrolyte" (as in an ELECTROLYTIC capacitor)... basically, it's the same type of "wetting" material that you will find in a dry-cell battery. Most likely a slightly alkaline or acidic liquid/gel used to transfer electricity between the bimetal plates of the cap.

A capacitor is really nothing more than a short-term, high-output, rechargeable battery... and they're made in basically the same way as a battery.

The air vent is not really a vent... it's a plug that is placed there as a "weak point" in the shell of the cap (kind of like a blow-off valve on a water heater, or a blowout disc on an air/gas cylinder), that keeps it from going off like a landmine in the case of a short causing the electrolyte to heat, boil, and build up enough pressure to explode. Instead, the "vent" will pop and let the pressure off.

That's all for today, kids... Tomorrow: nuclear power plants... how do they work?? [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

[Mike Stalker]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

A coagulated form of electrolyte. As kids we used to buy electrolyte in jugs to rejuvinate old automotive batteries to save us money. Here in Arizona batteries do not last long. I have a Diesel (dual batteries) and finally went to dry cell batteries.

They are the only way to go.

[Louie_IV]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

Just for some more info...

The electrolyte is made of ammonium borate which, when a current passes into the capacitor, causes a film of aluminum oxide to form on the metal plate inside the capacitor. This film stops the flow of electrons "through" the capacitor and allows them to build up and store a charge on one plate of the capacitor. But, a single electrolytic capacitor is for use with DC having a positive terminal and a negative terminal. Running AC through it can cause it to short out and even blow up! [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif[/img] A motor starting capacitor is used in AC applications and is actually 2 electrolytic capacitors connected in a series-opposing manner (+ to + or - to -). Thus, making it useful in motor start or other AC applications.

The "air-vent" is, as GMAN said, a pressure release to prevent pressure build up and a possible explosion of the capacitor. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

Don't let your brains expand too much by reading this!! [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

And how does a Nuclear Power Plant Work?? :p

Louie [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

[Lampie]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

Thanks guys(I presume [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img] ), this was more than just an answer!

Martin

Knowing this.. why should this plug be upwards?
Is it the green monster?

[poplarpetey]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

Wow! That was a lot of info in a short time. Thanks guys. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

Pete

[BowlEquip]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

What next? Nuclear-Powered Pinspotters?
Cool [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif[/img]

[TheGMan143]

Re: The capicitor air vent Quest..

Originally posted by Lampie:
Thanks guys(I presume [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img] ), this was more than just an answer!

Martin

Knowing this.. why should this plug be upwards?
Is it the green monster?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Doesn't really matter... if that little badboy pops, all the guts are gonna fly out of it no matter what orientation it's in.

Thoretically, you were supposed to mount a cap in an upright position, or if it had to be horizontal, with the plug at the high side. This was big with the older capacitors, because, like a battery, they had a tendency to leak after a while. Having it upright, or with the plug on the high side, allowed the electrolyte to stay low, and away from the plug, thereby reducing the chance of a leak, and lowering the amount of electrolyte that would seep out if it did leak. The newer caps use better electrolyte, and less of it to do the same job. The cases are bonded better and have much less of a chance to leak.

Slap 'em in however they'll fit. [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]