Calculation of the equivalent circuit for a plastic film capacitor intended for DC-link application in power electronic converters

Alessandra C. Fragoso; Alessandro L. Batschauer

doi:10.18618/REP.e202618

Authors

Alessandra C. Fragoso Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina
Alessandro L. Batschauer Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.e202618

Keywords:

Metallized plastic film capacitor, Equivalent circuit of the capacitor, Equivalent series inductance, Equivalent series resistance

Abstract

Capacitor designs employed in DC-link applications of power electronic converters must minimize equivalent series resistance and parasitic inductance due to the adoption of wide bandgap semiconductors, which enable operation at significantly higher temperatures, voltages, and switching frequencies. The paper focuses on characterizing metallized plastic film capacitors by analyzing the influence of materials, dimensions, and construction features, both of the capacitive element and of the connections and terminals, on parasitic inductance and associated losses, thereby supporting the development of an equivalent circuit model. A comprehensive literature review establishes the theoretical foundation for the analytical formulation, which is then applied to the structural characteristics of the capacitor under investigation to derive the parameters of the equivalent circuit. The calculated values of equivalent series inductance and equivalent series resistance are validated through comparison with measurements obtained from different capacitor models. The results confirm the accuracy of the proposed calculation method, as the observed deviations remain within acceptable limits, considering the inherent variability of raw materials, manufacturing processes, and measurement procedures.

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Author Biographies

Alessandra C. Fragoso, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

was born in Jaraguá do Sul, SC, Brazil, in 1991. She received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Católica de Santa Catarina, Jaraguá do Sul, SC, Brazil, in 2014, specialization in electrical engineering with energy efficiency emphasis from Sociesc, Joinville, SC, Brazil, in 2017. Professional performance as project analyst at Capacitor Department of WEG Equipamentos Elétricos S/A.

Alessandro L. Batschauer, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

was born in Balneário Camboriú, Brazil, in 1977. He received the B.S., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis -SC, Brazil, in 2000, 2002 and 2011, respectively. Since 2002, he has been with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Santa Catarina State University, Joinville, Brazil, where he is Associate Professor. In 2004, he was a Co-Founder of the SUPPLIER, Joinville, Brazil, where he is currently the Financial Director. Since 2019 he is responsible about financial sector of Brazilian Power Electronics Society. His fields of interest include high-frequency switching converters, power quality, multilevel converters, and impedance source converters. Dr. Batschauer is currently a member of the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, and Brazilian Power Electronic Society.

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