Still trying to understand how capacitors add more torque and power to single phase electric motors, I know they hold charge and discard really fast.
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Hmm I wouldn’t necessarily say that capacitors add torque, a single phase motor by itself is not self starting, however a single phase is enough to maintain the motor running. So a starting circuit with a capacitor is used to start the motor.
In a DC circuit a capacitor will slowly build up a charge to saturation, then hold the charge. If the input voltage was removed then the capacitor would discharge that charge back into the circuit.
In an AC circuit this effect is taking place with every waveform, so the effect seen is that the voltage at the capacitor “lags” the current applied.
So you essentially “split the phase”, using a capacitor to take a portion of the input, and shift it 90 degrees, then reapply it to offset windings. Boom, now you have a 2 phase motor, which is self starting. After the motor is running then this starting circuit is then deactivated.
You know…. now that I explained it out loud…. the capacitor does add torque. ^^^
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