PROJECT TITLE :

Experimental Evaluation of Capacitors for Power Buffering in Single-Phase Power Converters

ABSTRACT:

An energy buffer is needed for single-phase inverters and rectifiers to absorb twice-line frequency power ripple. Large electrolytic capacitors have been used in the past to overcome this issue. Ceramic and film capacitors are widely employed in conjunction with active filtering converters to lower the capacitance required by designers because of time constraints and the desire to optimise system performance. In order to maintain a consistent dc bus voltage, active filtering converters cycle the capacitor voltage through a wide range of voltages. Data sheet parameters available for commercial capacitors may be ineffective or require additional caution when determining attributes such as efficiency and energy storage capability for this large-swing action. Capacitor performance under a large voltage swing can be evaluated using an experimental setup and thorough experimental data presented in this paper. Data for a variety of capacitors ranging from 50 to 630 volts from numerous manufacturers is provided. This paper's methodology and findings can assist power electronics designers in selecting and evaluating capacitors for energy buffering applications..