Capacitor Arrangement for High Power Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power capacitors require high power density, and existing solutions face challenges in achieving this without increasing component size, which can lead to reliability issues and increased risks of failure.
Innovation Solution
A capacitor arrangement featuring a ceramic multilayer capacitor with a contact arrangement, including metallic contact plates and a clamping or soldering mechanism, which allows for increased capacitance without enlarging the component, using optimized electrode and ceramic layer configurations to reduce equivalent series resistance (ESR) and enhance robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the component size is increased to achieve high power density, then the power handling capability is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to increased risks of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitor is divided into multiple smaller capacitor units connected in parallel, each with its own external contacts. This segmentation allows the total capacitance and power handling to be increased without requiring a single large component, thereby maintaining higher reliability through distributed failure modes and reduced stress on individual units.
2Quantity of substance
If the capacitance is increased without enlarging the component, then the capacitance density is improved, but the equivalent series resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple capacitor units are electrically connected in parallel through a common contact arrangement, merging their individual capacitances to achieve high total capacitance in a compact volume. The parallel connection also merges the low ESR paths of individual units, maintaining low overall ESR while achieving high capacitance density.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact arrangement extends in multiple spatial dimensions to provide direct electrical connections to multiple capacitor units. This three-dimensional contact structure enables efficient current distribution across all capacitor units, minimizing resistive losses and enabling high capacitance density without increasing ESR.
3Volume of moving object
If the component size is reduced to maintain compactness, then the volume is improved, but the mechanical robustness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitor units are encapsulated in a robust housing material that provides mechanical protection and structural strength. This composite structure combines the compact capacitor units with a protective enclosure, achieving high mechanical robustness in a compact volume suitable for power electronic applications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves a high power density with low ESR and ESL, improved mechanical and thermal robustness, and increased capacitance density, enabling efficient operation in high-power applications while minimizing the risk of component failure.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitor arrangement (10) has a ceramic multilayer capacitor (1)
Implementation Method 2
The main body (2) comprises dielectric layers (3) arranged along a layer stacking direction (S) to form a stack. The dielectric layers (3) are preferably embodied as ceramic layers.
Implementation Method 3
The contact arrangement (7) has two metallic contact plates (70), between which the at least one ceramic multilayer capacitor (1) is arranged, wherein the first and second external contacts (51, 52) are electrically conductively connected in each case to one of the metallic contact plates (70).
Implementation Method 4
a heating element and also a capacitor region comprising dielectric layers and internal electrodes arranged between the layers, wherein the heating element and the capacitor region are thermally conductively connected to one another
Data Source
AI summary
A capacitor arrangement includes at least one ceramic multilayer capacitor with a main body having ceramic layers and first and second electrode layers arranged therebetween. The capacitor also has a first external contact and a second external contact on mutually opposite side surfaces. The first external contact is electrically conductively connected to the first electrode layers and the second external contact is electrically conductively connected to the second electrode layers. A contact arrangement includes two metallic contact plates, between which the at least one ceramic multilayer capacitor is arranged. The first and second external contacts are electrically conductively connected in each case to one of the metallic contact plates.