Can I use capacitors to create a magnetic field with a transformer and coil?

[Ziggey]

Hello.

So I'm trying to work on a project with capacitors. I have a twelve volt battery hooked up to a transformer that produces 120 v ac.

I would like to then hook the transformer up to five capacitors in parallel and then use the power stored i the capacitors to shoot through my coils to create a magnetic field. Something is going wrong though and I don't know what.

Any help would be great. Am I going to be able to just charge the capacitors up? I know that when running ac the capacitors are constantly charging and discharging. When I hook it up though the transformer makes a noise like I'm shorting something out... :/

Thanks for any help,
Zig

 

[davenn]

sounds like a bit of a dangerous project

putting capacitors across AC is pointless as each plate of the capacitor will be charging and discharging with each cycle of AC ( as you discovered) so you will end up with zero charge on them

forget the transformer and charge them directly from a DC supply

Dave

 

[milesyoung]

I have a twelve volt battery hooked up to a transformer that produces 120 v ac.

Do you mean an inverter? If you hook up a DC supply to a transformer, you'll just short out the supply.

When I hook it up though the transformer makes a noise like I'm shorting something out... :/

If you manage to hook up that level of AC voltage to your polarized caps, you're probably just going to see a lot of smoke.

 

[Ziggey]

Yes sorry I meant inverter... Ok I will have to modify my plan a little then thank you all for the help!

zig