Pulstar’s Patented Capacitors

A typical capacitor has three parts: a positive plate, a negative plate, and a dielectric media. The positive plate attracts the energy while the negative plate provides it access to ground. The dielectric media allows the negative plate to attract energy but prevents it from crossing between the two plates, forcing the energy to collect and be “stored” on the positive plate. When the energy is released, a quick and powerful pulse of energy is created; delivering a large amount of instantaneous power over a short period of time.

About Capacitors

The capacitor is a component which has the ability or “capacity” to store energy in the form of an electrical charge… In its basic form, a Capacitor consists of two or more parallel conductive (metal) plates which are not connected or touching each other, but are electrically separated either by air or by some form of a good insulating material such as waxed paper, mica, ceramic, plastic or some form of a liquid gel as used in electrolytic capacitors. The insulating layer between a capacitors plates is commonly called the Dielectric. Due to this insulating layer, DC current can not flow through the capacitor as it blocks it allowing instead a voltage to be present across the plates in the form of an electrical charge. The conductive metal plates of a capacitor can be either square, circular or rectangular, or they can be of a cylindrical or spherical shape… When used in a direct current or DC circuit, a capacitor charges up to its supply voltage but blocks the flow of current through it because the dielectric of a capacitor is non-conductive and basically an insulator.

Definition courtesy of Electronics Tutorials: Capacitors

Dielectric Media (Insulator):
Repurposed by using high-purity, engineered, ceramic. Prevents energy from traveling between the two plates yet allows the shell to act as negative plate.

Negative Plate (Shell):
Normal metal shell. Attracts energy to ground.

Positve Plate (Gas Seal):
Copper silica gas seal. Stores energy unable to access ground.

Parallel Capacitor

The capacitor is in parallel with the high voltage circuit, meaning the energy delivered by the ignition coil sees the capacitor and the spark gap simultaneously. While the voltage is ionizing the gap, energy is flowing into the capacitor (charging the capacitor). The resistance across the gap is infinite (open circuit) while the resistance in the capacitor is less than infinite. A resistance reversal takes place when ionization occurs and the spark is formed, the resistance in the gap becomes less than the resistance in the capacitor. The gap acts as a switch, automatically triggering the capacitor. At which point whatever energy is stored in the capacitor (3-10mJ) discharges into the combustion chamber creating the plasma-forming pulse.

Pulstar Patents