Circuit With Capacitance Only

Author: E.E. Kimberly

If a circuit consisting of a condenser with no charge is connected to an alternating voltage at the instant of zero voltage, there will be no transient component of current. If the circuit is closed after the voltage has any value whatsoever, the current inrush will theoretically be infinite, inasmuch as the condenser will act as a short-circuit until it has accumulated some charge. Practically, the inrush is controlled by the impedance of the source of voltage, and that impedance cannot be zero.