A Very Simple Experimental Technique for Characterising and Diagnosing Electrolytic Capacitors

In this paper, an experimental technique for the offline characterisation of electrolytic capacitors in a wide range of frequencies is presented. The Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) of electrolytic capacitors is a key parameter for the design of power converters operating at high frequencies, and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of electrical engineering & education 2011-01, Vol.48 (1), p.17-33
Main Authors: Buiatti, G. M., Amaral, A. M. R., Cardoso, A. J. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Algorithms
Calculus
Capacitors
Climate
Educational Objectives
Electronic components industry
Electronics
English (Second Language)
Mathematics
Measurement techniques
Methods
Standard deviation
Studies
Temperature effects
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:In this paper, an experimental technique for the offline characterisation of electrolytic capacitors in a wide range of frequencies is presented. The Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) of electrolytic capacitors is a key parameter for the design of power converters operating at high frequencies, and also for capacitor diagnosis. Not only is the capacitance value at low frequencies another important parameter for the diagnosis of electrolytic capacitors, usually it is the component with the shortest lifetime in these converters. Since impedance analysers are often very expensive and not always available in many laboratories, this proposed technique appears as a very useful tool especially for educational purposes. This is due to its easy implementation, accuracy, simplicity and cost. Curve fitting through least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is discussed and presented as the solution for the technique implementation. Experimental results are presented and compared with results from an impedance analyser, validating the accuracy of the technique.
ISSN:0020-7209
2050-4578
DOI:10.7227/IJEEE.48.1.3