Help! Almost killed by exploding capacitor! What did I do?

[Tink]

You have been very lucky mate!

Were I used to work we had small elco explosions.
These small elco's were inserted the wrong way and while the prints hang on the diagnostic test machine and the test went in to "voltage on" stage then these elco's exploded and jumped 20 to 30 meters away and landed on someones table.
30 meters is 90 feet, any idea with how much force the little alluminium elco shell can hit you when at close range?
The elco in question was no longer then 6 by 15mm.
I now always doublecheck the polarity of elco's as you understand.
I hope all experimenters read this thread because it can save their lives.

[pese]

Hello...I exaggerated little. Not really killed, however a capacitor exploded on me, shooting me in the hand with EXTREME FORCE!  I am mostly a mechanical experimenter so electrical circuits are new to me and I would like to know if some of the electrical oriented folks here can help me understand capacitors better so I don't hurt myself.

What I was trying to do was to test how much voltage was stored in two capacitors connected in parallel.

I hooked up a 12V  ac>dc power supply to a VERY SIMPLE circuit with two capacitors in parallel. One cap was 220V and the other was 16V (They are both in the trash now so I don't know the uf rating? small though...) The smaller 16V cap is the one that exploded...the casing flew straight up into my hand, leaving a nasty mark. I had a multi meter hooked up to both ends of the wire coming from the caps and was tapping the positive of the power supply to the "input"? of the circuit when the cap exploded.

What did I do wrong? Is it not wise to hook up two different voltage capacitors? Will a single capacitor charge HIGHER that the supplied input voltage? How does a 16V cap explode from 12V input!?!?  I would think you could even short out a 12V cap and it wouldn't explode like that?!?

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

an 12 volt AC source (usually from an transformer) will produce after rectifieying this 16 volt DC.!

1. you have give no attention to the polarities of the electrolydt condensor


OR

2. te voltages (12VAC) and 16VDC) was higher.
an 16V Electrolydt Condensor that receive mor than 18/19 volts
will beginn to cooking insige - e liquids inside produce an gas pressure,
so it explode.

This small condensors are not so dangerosly.
You must not be so angry
G.P.

[Paul-R]

How does a 16V cap explode from 12V input!?!?[/b]  I would think you could even short out a 12V cap and it wouldn't explode like that?!?

Work out the quantity of energy in the cap, and the current flowing
if it discharges in a VERY SHORT TIME. (That is crucial). It can
be staggering, which is why I am very luke warm about electric
cars running off supercapacitors. A nasty car crash could be
catastrophic.
Paul.

[pese]

Work out the quantity of energy in the cap, and the current flowing
if it discharges in a VERY SHORT TIME. (That is crucial). It can
be staggering, which is why I am very luke warm about electric
cars running off supercapacitors. A nasty car crash could be
catastrophic.
Paul.

This caps (as battery cells) will not explode
if you directly short them.
Pese

[konduct]

Well...this presents a problem to what I'm working on. Maybe someone can help with this.

I'd like to use charged capacitors to fire a simple coil. But, to fire a coil and use its electromagnetic field, you essentially have to short it out, don't you? So if I'm shorting out a coiled length of wire...how do I use the capacitors to fire it with out shorting out the capacitors?

Thanks again...