Capacitor Bank Simulator

Understanding Capacitor Banks — Free Interactive Series & Parallel Simulator

A capacitor bank is a group of capacitors connected together in series, parallel, or mixed configurations to achieve a desired equivalent capacitance, voltage rating, or energy storage capacity. Capacitor banks are used extensively in power systems for power factor correction, in electronics for energy storage and filtering, and in pulse power applications like defibrillators and laser systems. This interactive simulator lets you build series, parallel, and mixed capacitor circuits with up to three capacitors and observe how charge, voltage, and energy distribute across each component in real time.

Series Capacitor Banks — Voltage Division

When capacitors are connected in series, the reciprocal of the equivalent capacitance equals the sum of the reciprocals: 1/C_eq = 1/C₁ + 1/C₂ + 1/C₃. The equivalent capacitance is always less than the smallest individual capacitor. All capacitors in series store the same charge Q, but the supply voltage divides among them inversely proportional to their capacitance — the smallest capacitor gets the largest voltage. Series connections are used when a higher voltage rating is needed than any single capacitor can handle.

Parallel Capacitor Banks — Charge Storage

When capacitors are connected in parallel, the equivalent capacitance is the sum: C_eq = C₁ + C₂ + C₃. Each capacitor sees the same voltage (the supply voltage), and the total charge equals the sum of individual charges. The charge on each capacitor is proportional to its capacitance: Q = CV. Parallel banks are the most common configuration for increasing total capacitance in power factor correction and energy storage applications.

Energy Storage in Capacitors

The energy stored in a capacitor is given by E = ½CV², which can also be expressed as E = Q²/(2C) or E = ½QV. In a series bank, although each capacitor stores the same charge, the energy distribution depends on both capacitance and voltage. In a parallel bank, each capacitor stores energy proportional to its capacitance since all share the same voltage. The total energy stored equals the sum of individual energies, which also equals ½C_eqV_supply².

Who Uses This Simulator?

This simulator is designed for electrical engineering students studying circuit analysis, electronics technicians working with power supply filtering, power systems engineers designing capacitor banks for power factor correction, and physics students learning about electrostatics and energy storage. It provides visual, hands-on understanding of capacitor combinations without requiring laboratory equipment or expensive simulation software.

Explore Related Simulators

If you found this Capacitor Bank simulator helpful, explore our Ohm’s Law & DC Circuits simulator, RC Circuit simulator, RLC Circuit simulator, and Wheatstone Bridge simulator for more hands-on electrical engineering practice.