Power losses in electrolytic condensers

ELECTROLYTIC condensers on a-c. circuits have higher power losses than would be expected from the leakage currents and electrolyte resistances. Likewise, losses change with the applied voltage, temperature of the cell, the frequency of the applied voltage, and with external circuit conditions governing current wave shape in such ways that it is almost impossible to predict results in advance. When a sine wave of voltage is impressed the current wave usually contains large harmonics, indicating a non-linear function in the impedance of electrolytic condensers. Increases in voltage, temperature, frequency, and concentration of the electrolyte also cause increases in the harmonics in the current wave.