Capacitor technology

The use of capacitors as an energy storage medium is well established and generally considered the most satisfactory means of utilising electrical energy in certain applications. Capacitors can release their energy at extremely high speed and, when the associated charging equipment and load requires, at a very high repetition rate. These capacitors are capable of producing high peak currents at many kV unlike other forms of energy storage systems. Capacitor technology for pulsed power applications has seen significant changes. The main areas are dielectric materials, energy density levels and control of voltage reversal. The author briefly discusses each of these areas as well as the repetition rate of discharges