Calculating Amperage from a 3 Farad Capacitor

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the amperage that can be derived from a 3 Farad capacitor when fully charged and then discharged. Participants explore the relationship between capacitance, voltage, and resistance, as well as implications for charging lithium-ion batteries.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Ramone inquires about the amperage obtainable from a 3 Farad capacitor and seeks a formula related to its Farad rating.
  • One participant mentions basic electrical laws, stating that current will change during the discharge of a capacitor and clarifies that "amperage" is generally referred to as current, measured in amperes.
  • Another participant suggests that the load affects the RC constant and provides a formula for calculating current during charging and discharging, emphasizing the role of voltage and initial charge.
  • Ramone specifies the application of charging a lithium-ion battery and questions whether cyclic discharging affects battery life compared to constant DC voltage charging.
  • A later reply clarifies that the amperage from a capacitor is determined by voltage and resistance, providing the formula I = C * (dV/dt) for calculating current.
  • Participants discuss the need for additional information about voltage and resistance to accurately determine the amperage from the capacitor.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on how to calculate amperage from a capacitor, with no consensus on a single method or formula. The implications of using the capacitor to charge a lithium-ion battery also remain unresolved, as participants have not reached an agreement on the best charging method.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the dependence on voltage and resistance for calculating current, indicating that assumptions about circuit conditions may affect the discussion. The relationship between cyclic discharging and battery aging is also noted but remains unresolved.

ramonegumpert
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Dear Experts

I bought some 3 Farad electrolytic capacitors at 2.5v each.

I am wondering how much amperage can i get from 1 such capacitors if charged fully and then discharged fully?

I think this is measured in Amp-hours.

Is there a formula to derive the amperage from the capacitor's farad rating?

Please recommend where I can get free samples of super capacitors or boost capacitors.

Thanks a lot :)


Best regards
Ramone
 
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You can find what you want to know from some of the most basic electrical laws and formulas. You know, the basics like Q=CV, definitions, etc. When you fully discharge a capacitor from fully charged the current (amps) will be constantly changing. Not sure what you are trying to do here but that is something to think about. BTW, what you call amperage is generally called current and is measured in amperes. Amp-hours is usually something that is associated with batteries. A battery is able to produce a given current for a specified time and the product of those two is amp-hours. A battery that is rated for 100 amp hours can do 10 amps for 10 hours or 5 amps for 20 hours.
 
What will your capacitor be charging? Any time you change the load (resistance)...you just changed the RC constant.

I'm assume you are using a battery to charge it? Also assuming you are talking about a cap in series with a resistor (load)

If so...just google "RC constant formulas"..."or RC transient"...and plug and chug for the current.

The formula for use of battery looks like this:
i(t)={[V-Vc(0)]/R}*e^((-t/(RC))

V is your voltage source...and Vc(0) is your initial charge on your capacitor.

If you are charging cap...Vc(0) will just be zero...

If you are discharging the cap...disconnect the battery...and ignore the V in your formula. I'm assuming Vc(0) will be 2.5 volts in this case.
 
Hello Averagesupernova and Psparky

Thanks very much for your replies and advice .

Psparky guessed correctly. I am trying to charge a lithium ion battery.

Will cyclic discharging of the capacitors to the battery cause the battery to age faster or is constant DC voltage slow charging better for the battery life?

Thanks!

regards
Ramone
 


Dear Ramone,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding calculating amperage from a 3 Farad capacitor. The amperage from a capacitor is not directly related to its Farad rating. Instead, it is determined by the voltage and resistance in the circuit. The formula for calculating amperage in a capacitor is I = C * (dV/dt), where I is the amperage, C is the capacitance in Farads, and (dV/dt) is the rate of change of voltage over time. Therefore, to determine the amperage from a 3 Farad capacitor, we would need to know the voltage and resistance in the circuit.

As for obtaining free samples of super capacitors or boost capacitors, I would recommend reaching out to manufacturers or distributors directly. Many companies offer free samples for testing and evaluation purposes.

I hope this information helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Best regards,
 

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