A capacitive power supply or capacitive dropper is a type of power supply that uses the capacitive reactance of a capacitor to reduce higher AC mains voltage to a lower DC voltage.
Or thinking of the capacitor as the source, it can supply or sink an infinite current without changing its voltage. This is precisely the definition of a voltage source. We don't consider a capacitor a current source because the math doesn't work out that way. But this isn't the world being unfair to current sources.
This is the same behaviour as our ideal voltage source, so we say that the capacitor behaves as a voltage source. Of course, in practice capacitors tend to discharge quickly and the voltage would then drop over time, so the discussion above only really applies to the instant of time immediately after you connect the circuit.
The current through a capacitor is equal to: Non-ideal power supply capacitors have equivalent series resistance and leakage current. Common types for power supply capacitors are aluminum electrolytic, tantalum, multilayer ceramic, film. Aluminum and tantalum types are polarity sensitive.
This article emphasizes the importance of capacitors and their capacitive properties and topologies in the designs of power supplies. Designs based on capacitive topologies are particularly suitable for power supplies in the milliwatt range. They are simple, compact and economical.
Almost certainly not unless the power supply was designed with criminal negligence and the capacitor is huge. You will probably see a spark if you are connecting the capacitor to a live supply.
A capacitive power supply or capacitive dropper is a type of power supply that uses the capacitive reactance of a capacitor to reduce higher AC mains voltage to a lower DC voltage. It is a relatively inexpensive method compared to typical solutions using a transformer, however, a relatively large mains-voltage capacitor is required an…