Selecting Capacitors for Inverter Applications
The film capacitor technology has been shown to be smaller, lighter, have longer life and be cost competitive compared to the electrolytic capacitor technology for high performance inverter
Ceramic dielectric capacitors are the most commonly used inverter capacitors because of their robustness, high capacity and fast response time. Coated paper dielectric capacitors are also used in inverters, which have the advantages of low loss, high load capacity, power saving and energy saving.
The choice ultimately hinges on the inverter's design, intended use, and performance demands. Ceramic dielectric capacitors are the most commonly used inverter capacitors because of their robustness, high capacity and fast response time.
With electric vehicles, inverters are typically optimized for two things - power density and efficiency. Thus, DC link should not be any larger than what the requirements call for. The objective of this article is to help you better understand the role of the DC link capacitor and how to properly size it based off your requirements.
The first step in sizing capacitors for inverter bus link applications should be to understand how much bus link capacitance is required for a given inverter design. The biggest design limitation for electrolytic capacitors in inverter applications has been the amount of ripple current that the electrolytic capacitor can sustain.
PDF version includes complete article with source references.
Get technical specifications, application guides, and ROI analysis tools for containerized power stations, portable photovoltaic containers, and microgrid energy storage solutions.
18 Industrial Park Road, Midrand
Johannesburg, South Africa 1685
Sales & General: +27 11 568 3400
Technical Support: +27 82 459 7781
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM SAST
Saturday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM SAST