Any ideas for using Super Caps?

[bigal_scorpio]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what to do with some capacitors that I have.

They are 220,000uF (0.22F) 5V Super Capacitors, the size of a hearing aid battery (AG 13) with a solder tag on each side.

I have been wracking my brains for a use for these and so far have come up blank, so if you have any ideas on uses, however weird or whacky, let me know

BTW I have over 30 of them so, about 7 Farads worth! Suppose I could make one long battery! hehehe. Any ideas?

Thanks........Al

 

[BaCaRdi]

https://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/SuperCaps

-BaC

 

[RODALCO]

I have used some of those on my old technology 5 volt TTL clocks to run them through a powerglitch.

 

[Krumlink]

You can make some BEAM robots with em, or you could make a 87.5Joule Coil gun at 5V. Impressive, but would probably take 10 minutes to fully charge

 

[Brian218]

Try running a small motor or fan.

Here are som 4.7 FARAD caps, but they're only 2.5 volts. If I'm remembering my electronic theory correctly, you can raise the max voltage by connecting several caps in Series. I think this also lowers the total capacitance.

https://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category/140280/Memory_Back-Up.html

BTW I like the coil gun idea..

 

[Boncuk]

Super Caps

Build a spot welding machine.

Boncuk

 

[RODALCO]

Correct Brian218.

By putting caps in series you reduce the capacity

e.g. 2 x 4.7 F at 2.5 volts in series will give a 2.35 F at 5 volts and double that again yields 1.175 F at 10 volts. (4 caps totoal)

It is good practise to put equalizing resistors across the caps to even up the voltage across them.

 

[walshlg]

hmm isn't that the sort of cap they use for triggering a nuclear weapon?

 

[Brian218]

hmm isn't that the sort of cap they use for triggering a nuclear weapon?

Naw, your thinking of plutonium caps, they're just like tantalum caps, but alot heavier

Here are some real nuke caps...check out the 2nd paragraph
https://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Jun-29-Tue-2004/news/24203010.html

 

[walshlg]

does Disney sell them? I already got the one with Mickey on it

 

[Speakerguy]

Do these explode in any cool ways?

 

[Krumlink]

Why would you want to explode some super caps? These things are expensive enough as it is, but i guess it wouldnt hurt to spare a few

 

[Brian218]

Do these explode in any cool ways?

IMO ANYTHING that explodes is pretty cool!

Plug 'em in with reverse polarity or exceed their voltage rating...I don't think the poor schmuck that blew them up would think it cool, nor would anyone downwind, but it would be a great internet vid.

 

[Speakerguy]

Exactamundo

I've smelled pretty much any semiconductor material out there on fire, as well as a variety of passives, but never a supercap.

 

[walshlg]

the Electric Huffer!

Hey speaking of explosions I bet these would be great for hydrolizing water (and ignition of course):gtoet:

 

[Hero999]

You can make some BEAM robots with em, or you could make a 87.5Joule Coil gun at 5V. Impressive, but would probably take 10 minutes to fully charge

Sorry to disappoint you but memory backup super capacitors have a huge ESR, often greater than 30hm: so the discharge would be very slow.

However, the capacitors in the link evilmadscientist.com would be pretty impressive, although they probably have a large leakage current to store the energy for very long.