Capacitor Banks

Capacitor Bank is a group of several identical capacitors interconnected in parallel or in series with one another. These groups of capacitors are typically used to correct or counteract undesirable characteristics, such as a power factor lag or phase shifts inherent in alternating current (AC) electrical power supplies. They may also be used in direct current (DC) power supplies to increase stored energy and improve the ripple current capacity of the power supply.

Single capacitors are electrical or electronic components which store electrical energy. They consist of two conductors that are separated by an insulating material or dielectric. So, when an electrical current is passed through the conductor pair, a static electric field develops in the dielectric that represents the stored energy. Unlike batteries this stored energy is not maintained indefinitely as the dielectric allows for a certain amount of current leakage resulting in gradual dissipation of the stored energy.