Why Does a Car Audio Power Capacitor Work?
A car audio power cap works by storing large amounts of electrical power which it can then deliver to power hungry components when called upon to do so. They have an advantage over typical lead acid storage batteries because they have very low internal resistance. This allows them to deliver large amounts of power (current) very quickly. Much faster than a car’s charging system can deliver that same amount of current. Car audio power amplifiers can have very large current demands. This is dependent on the music being played through the amplifier. Typically these currents are only needed in short bursts during transient peaks (cannon shot, bass drum strike, etc.). If the amplifier tries to pull this current from the electrical system directly it may cause a drop in voltage called a sag. This sag is equivalent to a voltage drop in the system and the size of the drop depends on the resistance of the wire from the source (battery) to the amplifier. As an example, let’s say you have twenty
A car audio power cap works by storing large amounts of electrical power which it can then deliver to power hungry components when called upon to do so. They have an advantage over typical lead acid storage batteries because they have very low internal resistance. This allows them to deliver large amounts of power (current) very quickly. Much faster than a car’s charging system can deliver that same amount of current. Car audio power amplifiers can have very large current demands. This is dependent on the music being played through the amplifier. Typically these currents are only needed in short bursts during transient peaks (bass drum note, etc.). If the amplifier tries to pull this current from the electrical system directly it may cause a drop in voltage called a sag. This sag is equivalent to a voltage drop in the system and the size of the drop depends on the resistance of the wire from the source (battery) to the amplifier. As an example, let’s say you have twenty feet of 8 gauge
