Coilgun with car audio capacitors

[Pyi Shan]

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and I just started working on my first coilgun. I've watched several tutorials on how to build a coilgun but all the capacitors they use in the coilguns are electrolytic capacitors. The capacitors don't deliver as much energy as the car audio capacitors. I'm wondering if it is possible to use car audio capacitors in my coilgun and if it is possible how i should build my coilgun. I've planned to use five 5F 24V car audio capacitors as I can buy them in Myanmar and electrolytic capacitors are extremely rare and expensive in Myanmar. Please give me suggestions on how to build a coilgun or railgun out of these car audio capacitors.

 

[mfb]

Capacitors have some limits on the current you can get from them. I don't know how much current you get out of your car audio capacitors.

 

[timthereaper]

Even if you didn't have current limits on the capacitor, you'd still have to contend with the capacitor discharge equation: I = V/R*exp(-t/RC).

I thought about building a coilgun with car audio caps before, and I don't see why it can't work. It might be hard on the cap simply because they're not designed to fully discharge all the time. Just be careful charging them up because you're not supposed to just hook them up directly to a 24V source. You have to slowly charge them to avoid arcing across the terminals.

 

[berkeman]

We don't discuss dangerous activities here. Thread is closed.

 

[alphy]

Hello and welcome to the forum! It's great to see your interest in building a coilgun. While car audio capacitors may have a higher energy storage capacity compared to electrolytic capacitors, it is important to note that they may not be suitable for use in a coilgun.

Firstly, car audio capacitors are designed for a specific purpose, which is to provide a surge of power to an audio system. This means that they may not be able to handle the rapid discharge and high currents required for a coilgun. Using them in a coilgun may result in damage to the capacitors or the coilgun itself.

Additionally, the voltage rating of the capacitors may not be high enough for a coilgun. Most coilguns require a voltage of several hundred volts to function properly, and car audio capacitors may not be able to handle this high voltage.

If electrolytic capacitors are rare and expensive in Myanmar, you may want to consider using other types of capacitors that are more commonly available. You could also try purchasing them online from international sellers.

As for suggestions on how to build a coilgun, there are many resources available online with step-by-step instructions and diagrams. It's important to carefully follow these instructions and take all necessary safety precautions when building a coilgun.

In conclusion, while it may be tempting to use car audio capacitors in your coilgun, it is not recommended as they may not be suitable for this purpose. It would be best to use other types of capacitors that are specifically designed for high-energy applications. Best of luck with your project!