- #1
Robin Hooper
- 9
- 0
Hello everyone, I know this may be a very elementary question but I'm not an EE or have access to one other that this forum.
I've been reading up on capacitors and so far I'm not able to decipher if a cap will discharge only if the capacitor has reached its maximum capacity. I would think that it would discharge when the two leads are connected in one form or another regardless of its capacity. To connect the two leads can be is very dangerous, hence this post. I can only find that a cap will discharge very quickly and only discharge a percentage of the stored energy. What I'm trying to do is charge up a cap by inducing a coil with a spinning permanent magnet within the coil. This would then load the cap to its maximum voltage and then have it discharge only when it has reached its maximum capacity. A resistor and diode will also be located before the cap to prevent over loading and ensure direction of current flow. Note: Do correct me if I don't understand the safe/proper circuit involved.
Thanks again everyone that have responded to previous posts and this one as well.
I've been reading up on capacitors and so far I'm not able to decipher if a cap will discharge only if the capacitor has reached its maximum capacity. I would think that it would discharge when the two leads are connected in one form or another regardless of its capacity. To connect the two leads can be is very dangerous, hence this post. I can only find that a cap will discharge very quickly and only discharge a percentage of the stored energy. What I'm trying to do is charge up a cap by inducing a coil with a spinning permanent magnet within the coil. This would then load the cap to its maximum voltage and then have it discharge only when it has reached its maximum capacity. A resistor and diode will also be located before the cap to prevent over loading and ensure direction of current flow. Note: Do correct me if I don't understand the safe/proper circuit involved.
Thanks again everyone that have responded to previous posts and this one as well.