Evaluation of Next-Generation Power Electronic Capacitors through ESR Instrumentation

摘要

The equivalent series resistance (ESR) of high-energy- density film capacitors can be extremely low (< 0.1 mΩ), and precise measurements of the ESR values are difficult to perform. In fact, there is no widely accepted method for measuring very low ESR values. This predicament affects the ability of power system engineers to assess the potential performance of various low ESR capacitors produced by different manufacturers. To address this need, ORNL researchers are developing a robust method for measuring very low capacitor ESR values with affordable test instrumentation that can be used in both the laboratory and on the production floor allowing engineers to make these measurements quickly, efficiently and inexpensively.