You bet they are known. They are used all over the place, probably several in your house.
Increasing the value of a capacitor in a power supply circuit generally reduces the ripple voltage. This is because a larger capacitor can store more charge and better smooth out fluctuations in voltage during the charging and discharging cycles, which occurs in rectified AC signals. As a result, the output voltage becomes steadier, leading to lower ripple voltage. However, practical limitations like size, cost, and equivalent series resistance (ESR) must also be considered.
The smoothing capacitor converts the full-wave rippled output of the rectifier (which is left over AC signal) into a smooth DC output voltage A smoothing capacitor after either a half-wave or full-wave rectifier will be charged up to the peak of the rectified a.c. Between peaks of the a.c. the stored voltage will drop by a degree dependent on how much current is drawn from it by the load. The larger the value of the capacitor, the less drop there will be, and therefore less ripple when loaded.
A main filter capacitor is an electrical component used in power supply circuits to smooth out voltage fluctuations and reduce ripple in the output voltage. It is typically placed after the rectifier stage in a power supply, where it stores electrical energy and releases it as needed to maintain a steady voltage level. This helps ensure stable operation of electronic devices by providing a consistent power supply. The value and quality of the main filter capacitor are crucial for the performance and reliability of the power supply system.
to smooth the output of the half-wave rectifier from 1/2 an AC cycle per period to a constant voltage.
although the AC signal is rectified the output which we get is the pulsating DC which is not desired because many appliances wok on plain DC voltage . The pulsating DC can be viewed as AC + DC component of the signal ripple factor of a rectified circuit is the ratio of AC component of signal to the DC component of the same rectified output signal. higher the ripple factor says that the signal is not smooth so lesser is its application. the components used to smooth these type of signals or to remove the 'ripple voltage' as called filters
filter circuits
When the terminals of a capacitor are connected together, the capacitor will discharge, returning to a zero potential state. Capacitors resist voltage change, meaning that if the capacitor is in a circuit that has zero voltage potential, the capacitor will eventually achieve zero potential. If the capacitor is in a circuit that has a 5 volt potential, the capacitor will seek and attempt to maintain that 5 volt potential (provided that the capacitor is rated at 5 volts or more). In an AC circuit, the capacitor will tend to smooth out the sin wave of the current, resisting change in both directions. In a DC power supply circuit, a capacitor will tend to reduce the voltage "ripple", and if the circuit is designed properly, will provide a smooth DC voltage. Shorting the terminals of a capacitor is effectively what often happens in many circuits; it's not a problem.
Increasing the value of a capacitor in a power supply circuit generally reduces the ripple voltage. This is because a larger capacitor can store more charge and better smooth out fluctuations in voltage during the charging and discharging cycles, which occurs in rectified AC signals. As a result, the output voltage becomes steadier, leading to lower ripple voltage. However, practical limitations like size, cost, and equivalent series resistance (ESR) must also be considered.
when rectifier is on, the capacitor is almost transparent (it charges to the voltage provided from the rectifier) when rectifier is off, capacitor holds the peak voltage since it stored a charge during rectifier on time.
The smoothing capacitor converts the full-wave rippled output of the rectifier (which is left over AC signal) into a smooth DC output voltage A smoothing capacitor after either a half-wave or full-wave rectifier will be charged up to the peak of the rectified a.c. Between peaks of the a.c. the stored voltage will drop by a degree dependent on how much current is drawn from it by the load. The larger the value of the capacitor, the less drop there will be, and therefore less ripple when loaded.
Capacitors are marked with the capacitance and the maximum working voltage. The action of a capacitor is store charge short-term and a capacitor is commonly used as a reservoir of charge in a rectifier circuit to smooth the dc output voltage. Other uses in electronic circuits are as a dc-blocker which passes an ac signal while not passing the dc bias, or as a decoupling capacitor in dc circuits to remove any ac signals present while preserving the dc voltage, or in timing circuits because the time-constant of a resistor and a capacitor connected together is CR, or in filters and tuned circuits. Sometimes a variable capacitor is used, connected to a control knob for tuning a radio. In each of the above applications there are accurate methods to decide exactly how much capacitance is required.
Ripple voltage is when the DC voltage varies between (for example)12.5 Volts and 13.5 Volts, and does so rapidly. Technically, an alternator produces "alternating current", (hence the name, 'Alternator') and that AC voltage is converted to DC by running the current through a bank of "diodes". Diodes are able to allow current to flow one direction and not the other. As the voltage runs through the diodes it becomes a form of DC voltage, along with pulsations of up and downs, which is called as ripples. All electronic circuit require a steady DC supply free from these unwanted ripples. Fortunately, a battery when charged by pulsating rectified DC output can smooth out most of those ripples for us. If battery backup is not available in supply then filters ( reactive circuit elements, inductor in series and capacitor parallel to load) circuits can smooth out these ripples and improve quality of rectified output. BTW, it's called ripple voltage because when you look at the voltage on an oscilloscope it looks like ripples as the voltage varies.
A Smoothing Capacitor is a capacitor which helps to smooth out fluctuations that may exist on a power supply line.
A common positive capacitor, often referred to in the context of capacitors in electronic circuits, typically denotes a capacitor connected to the positive voltage rail. It stores electrical energy and releases it when needed in the circuit, helping to smooth voltage fluctuations and provide power during transient loads. Capacitors can be polarized, like electrolytic capacitors, which have a positive and negative terminal, making proper orientation crucial during installation.
A main filter capacitor is an electrical component used in power supply circuits to smooth out voltage fluctuations and reduce ripple in the output voltage. It is typically placed after the rectifier stage in a power supply, where it stores electrical energy and releases it as needed to maintain a steady voltage level. This helps ensure stable operation of electronic devices by providing a consistent power supply. The value and quality of the main filter capacitor are crucial for the performance and reliability of the power supply system.
to smooth the output of the half-wave rectifier from 1/2 an AC cycle per period to a constant voltage.
Yes, you can add a capacitor to a 12-volt battery circuit. Capacitors can help stabilize voltage and smooth out fluctuations in power supply, acting as a buffer for sudden demand changes. However, it's essential to ensure that the capacitor's voltage rating exceeds 12 volts and that it is properly connected to avoid potential damage or short circuits. Always consider the specific application and requirements when integrating capacitors into a circuit.