Small stack capacitor case study presented at APEC 2018

AVX Fellow, Ron Demcko, and Supercapacitor Product Marketing Engineer, Eric DeRose, will present 'Case Study: Small Size Stack Capacitors Replace Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors in SMPS' in the Capacitors for Emerging Power Conversion Applications Industry Session (IS03) at approximately 11:25am on Tuesday 6th March, in room 205.

Demcko and DeRose will also join several colleagues at the APEC Exposition, 5th to 7th March at booth 1325, to promote AVX’s portfolio of high-reliability, harsh-environment, medium- and high-power component solutions, including: advanced ceramic, tantalum, and power film capacitors and supercapacitors. Products on display will include:

• AVX’s compact, lightweight, and space-qualified ESCC QPL 3009 PME series X7R SMT MLCCs, which were recently extended with new 200V MLCCs in 0805–2220 case sizes. Currently available with capacitance values spanning 330pF to 330nF, the new 200V MLCCs deliver significant performance improvements over 200V MIL-PRF stacked ceramic capacitors and 100V MIL-PRF surface-mount products in 100V circuits when space derating rules are applied, providing engineers with effective, high-reliability solutions suitable for use in challenging space and military applications, including: space launchers, satellite communications, and the input/output filtering lines of space power supplies.

The series now offers high-reliability performance in voltage ratings spanning 25–200V, capacitance values spanning 4.7pF to 2.2µF, and 0805–2220 cases with ESA Variant 03, 06, and 07 terminations, depending on the dielectric. 

• SCC series supercapacitors and SCM series supercapacitor modules, which combine high capacitance with low ESR and long-lifetime performance of 50,000+ cycles to achieve supposedly excellent pulse power-handling characteristics. Both series provide extended back-up times, longer battery life, and instantaneous as-needed power pulses, and can be used alone or in conjunction with primary or secondary batteries in the hold-up, energy harvesting, and pulse power circuits of applications including: uninterrupted power supplies, camera flash systems, wireless alarms, remote metering equipment, GSM and GSR transmission systems, scanners, toys, and games. 

The SCC series is rated for 2.7V and delivers high capacitance values (1–3,000F), low ESR (0.16–200mΩ at 1,000KHz), low leakage (6–5,800µA), and high energy density (1.2–5.6Wh/kg) in a wide range of case sizes with radial, solder pin, or cylindrical leads. The SCM series is currently available in two voltage ratings (5 and 5.4V) with high capacitance values (0.47–7.5F ±20% tolerance), low ESR (4–300mΩ at 1,000KHz), low leakage (2–1,000µA), and high energy density (1–5.6Wh/kg), and plastic or shrink-wrapped cases with vertical or horizontal radial leads.

• TRM Professional series multianode, ultralow-ESR tantalum capacitors, which were recently extended with several new ratings in new 'U' case sizes (EIA Metric 7361-43) to address the demands of an ever-expanding scope of high-reliability, harsh-environment power filtering and storage applications in the automotive, military, medical, aerospace, and industrial markets.  

Now available in 'U' case, 'E' case (EIA Metric 7343-43), and 'D' case (EIA Metric 7343-31) sizes, these volumetrically efficient, surface-mount, J-lead capacitors meet AEC-Q200 requirements, offer a wide range of capacitance values and voltage ratings spanning 4.7–1,500µF and 2.5–50V, and achieve twice the reliability of TPM Commercial series tantalum capacitors, which also feature the new 'U' case size.

The TRM series has a base failure rate of 0.5% per 1,000 hours at 85ºC and rated voltage (VR) with 0.1Ω/V series impedance, in addition to a 25% lower DCL limit (0.0075CV), high volumetric efficiency, and ultralow ESR values as low as 18mΩ at 100kHz. It also exhibits stable electrical performance, high resistance to the thermomechanical stresses associated with PCB assembly processes, and long-lifetime operation, and 'D' case variants feature a mirrored construction that consists of two parallel anodes attached to both sides of the lead-frame, which both reduces ESR values by half and results in lower ESL. 

•FHC1 and FHC2 series power film capacitors, which smooth and filter current and voltage variations and prevent ripple currents from reaching power sources to protect high-power-density inverters in automotive, industrial, medical, mil/aero, consumer, communications, and alternative energy applications. Suitable for use in conjunction with EV/HEV IGBT modules, in the DC-link circuits between EV/HEV rectifiers and inverters, and in medium-sized motor drives, the series exhibit high ripple current capabilities, extremely high dielectric strength in operating conditions up to 115°C, low inductance, low ESR, and a low thermal footprint. 

Based on several elementary wound bobbins with reinforced solder points on specific bus bar offerings, the series also feature high rms current and repartition capabilities, reduced thermal expansion constraints, high productivity, internal design flexibility, modularity in three dimensions, and controlled self-healing capabilities that ensure soft end-of-life performance with a gradual loss of capacitance, rather than a catastrophic failure mode.

The FHC1 series offers standard capacitance values and voltage ratings spanning 140–300μF and 450–900VDC, while the FHC2 series offers standard capacitance values and voltage ratings spanning 260–900μF and 410–900VDC. Custom values spanning 100–1.5mF and 300–1400VDC are available upon request.

“APEC has a long tradition of addressing issues of both immediate and long-term interest to power electronics engineers and is widely recognised as the premier annual event in applied power electronics, so we’re very pleased to be a part of this year’s conference and exposition and to introduce attendees to our most recent contributions to the continual development of the rapidly evolving power electronics industry,” said Demcko.