with David L. Jones
The EEVblog is an off-the-cuff video blog and Podcast of interest to anyone involved in electronics design. Electronics professionals, hobbyists, hackers, and makers will find something of interest here. Presented in Dave's unique non-scripted overly enthusiastic style!
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EEVblog #42 – Exploding Capacitors in High Speed
Posted on November 4th, 2009 20 commentsDave blows up some tantalum and electrolytic capacitors in front of his new 300fps Sanyo Xacti high speed camcorder!
20 responses to “EEVblog #42 – Exploding Capacitors in High Speed”
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I remember my electronics teacher blowing up an electrolytic cap, shooting and cracking the perspex on the clock at the back of the classroom. He made a protective box not long after that for demonstrating to the students.
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David DLC November 4th, 2009 at 13:12
I was servicing an old cassette player (this was some decades ago) and the design had a zener in parallel to a capacitor, the zener burnt so the voltage on the cap was not protected anymore and it exploded hitting me on the eye, human body is amazing I didn’t see the cap coming, but my eye closed and it hit me on the skin and not inside the eye (lucky me). After a visit to the hospital and several days with big headaches and blurry vision everything turned out ok, now I’m more carefull than ever.
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Timothy Tee November 5th, 2009 at 02:32
OMG. Did your eye swell?
Amazingly the capacitor did not fly into your eye. Otherwise your doc will need to perform a surgery. Not to mention, you will lose 1 eye.-
David DLC November 5th, 2009 at 05:47
It did a little bit, is like if somebody punch you in the eye.
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ROFLMAO I love this, when I was little around age 10, I used to run electros off the mains (with a 500w globe in serries to stop the 16A fuse from bowing), I would bury them in the ground about 6inches and it would shoot dirt up about 25 feet
I once spent a week building a relay box (20 odd relays, 555 and a couple of counter chips, it would step to the next relay after a second or so) then wire up all the caps in the front lawn and make it a war zone
Very dangerous, but I had fun, I am still alive and have most of my body in one piece
I used to do contract manufacture for a local company, I would solder up all the PCB’s, then after I had about 40 I would run them on the test jig to make sure the product worked. I mounted a low voltage large capacitance electro in backwards, when I applied power, there was a bit of a hum, then a huge explosion, foil and paper everywhere… The can was hanging out the gyprock ceiling
livened up a Friday afternoon, I think it was beer o’clock after that.Regards,
Kat.
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Thanks…
This subject has always been a fun part of the lab experience. -
Lionel November 5th, 2009 at 13:33
Hey Dave, your blog has hit the big time! Your exploding capacitor video has made it to BoingBoing!
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Dave,
My Grandson had a few old electric toys that were powered by 9 volt batteries. The toys were out-of-favour and not touched for several year. He was cleaning his room and decided to take the old batteries out to discard them. Not knowing better, he clip the snaps together on the two of the old dead batteries.
An hour or so later we heard a “snap” from the area of the trash can. We could not find anything to suggest a problem.
About 30 minutes later; the trash can jumped about a two feet (along with the rest of us) from the loud explosion. The second battery unfolded itself all over the inside of the can.
My Grandson and I now know better, and I watch what kids are doing with batteries and how batteries are disposed.
I enjoy your Blog -
Eldon
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Ray Jones November 5th, 2009 at 20:05
I’ve always wondered how good a tantalum cap would be for lighting a camp fire.
Reckon they’d be good value, stand back and throw the switch!
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Michael L. November 8th, 2009 at 08:41
To David: You know you’re succsessful when you’ve got your first hater to post on your blog.
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When you record in your lab I can only hear high frequency sound which is slightly irritating.
Couldn’t it be made better?
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Great vids. And one hint, even we folks who are hobbyist electronics people should wear eye protection.
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Sam November 4th, 2009 at 11:21