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1. Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors

Published on Jan 21, 2016 ct

Aluminium electrolytic capacitors are widely used in power supply circuitry of
electronic equipment as there after several advantages over other types of
capacitances. The selection of a capacitor for an application without knowing the
basics may result in unreliable performance of the equipment due to expanitor
problems. It may lead to customer dissatisfaction and damage market to potential
or the image of a reputed company.

The aluminium eletrolytic capacitors are suitable to be used when a great

capacitance value is required in a very small size. The volume of an electrolytic
capacitor is more than 10 times less than a film one considering the same rated
voltage and capacitance. The cost per F is also less when compared with all other
capacitors.

CONSTRUCTION
An aluminium electrolytic capacitor is composed of high-purity, thin aluminium foil
(0.05 to I mm thick) having a dieletric anidation on its surface to prevent current
flow in one direction. This outs as anode. Another these two aluminium coils is an
electrolytic impregnated paper, which cuts as the dieletric. Since the capacitors is
inversely propotional to the dieletric thiclenen. And the dieletric thicknen is
propotional to the forming voltage, the relationship between capacitance and
cerming voltage is.

Capacitance X Forming Voltage = Constant.

Aluminium tabs attached to the anode and cathode coils act as the positive and
negative leads of the capacitor respectively. The entire element is sealed into an
aluminium can by using rubber, bakelite or phenolic plastic. The construction of an
aluminum electrolytic capacitor is the following:

The anode (A):

The anode is formed by an aluminium foil of extreme purity. The effective surface
area of the coil is greatly enlarged (by a factor upto 200) by electrochemical
etching in order to achive the maximum possible capacitance values.

The dieletric (O):

The aluminum foil (A) is covered by a very thin oxidised layer of aluminium oride
(O=Al O3. This oxide is obtained by means of an eletro chemical process. The
typical value of forming voltage is 1.2 nm/v. the oxide with stands a high electric
field strength and it has a high dielectric constant. Aluminium oxide is therefore
well suited as a capacitor dieletric in a polar capacitor. The A12O3 has a high
insulation resistance for voltages lower than the forming voltage. The oxide layer
consistitutes a nonlinear voltage dependent resistance: the current increases
more steeply as the voltage increases

The electrolytic Paper, cathode (C,K)

The negative electrode is a liquid electrolyte absorbed in a paper. The paper also
acts as a spacer between the positive foil carrying the dieletric layer and the
opposite Al-foil ( the negative Coil) acting as a contact medium to the eletrolyte.
The cathode foil serves as a large contact area for passing current to the
operating eletrolyte. Bipolar Al electrolytic capacitors are also available. In this
designs both the anode foil and cathode foil are anodized. The cathode foil has the
same capacitance rating as the anode foil. This construction allows for operation
of direct voltage of either polarity as well as operation of purely alternating
voltages. Since it causes internal heating the applied atternating voltage must be
kept considerably below the direct voltage rating. Since we have the series
connection of two capacitor elements, the total capacitance is equal to only half
the individual capacitance value. So compared to polar capacitor, a bipolar
capacitor requires upto twice the volume for the same total capacitance.

RATED VOLTAGE (Rr):

Rated voltage is the maximum voltage that can be continously applied to the
capacitor within specified operating temperature range of the capacitor. The
following should be taken into account: In case an AC voltage is super imposed on
on a DC Voltage, the sum of the DC voltage and the peak value of AC should not
exceed the rated voltage (Vr) of the capacitor. If the DC voltages of both polarities
are likely to be encountered in an application, use DC bipolar capacitors. DC
bipolar capacitors should not be used for AC applications.

When capacitors are connected is series to achieve a higher operational voltage,

the voltage distribution on each of the capacitors will not be the same even for
capacitors for same voltage rating. This is due to normal DC leakage distribution.

SURGE VOLTAGE (Vp) :

Surge voltage is the maximum over voltage including DC peak AC and transients to
which the capacitor can be subjected for short periods (not exceeding 30 secs
every 5 mints). Its value varies between capacitors from different manufacturers
and is related to the rated voltage as follows:
Vp = 1.15Vr for capacitors having Vr = 200V
Vp = 1.10 Vr for capacitors having Vr>200V

C. It decreases with the increase in temperature and frequency.EQUIVALENT

SERIES RESISTANCE (ESR): the ESR is the resistance that the capacitors offers to
an alternating current flow. It arises due to resistance from various components
including the electrolyte, paper coil etc. the ESR to an alternating current generate
heat with an the capacitor. It is specified for 100 Hz at 20
LEAKAGE CURRENT :
When the rated voltage is applied to a capacitor, there is initially a high current
flow, which exponentially decreases as the capacitor gets charged. Even after the
capacitor is fully charged, there will be a constant small value of current flowing
into the capacitor. This is formed as the leakage current. It is due to the aluminium
oxide which acts as the dielectric. The curve gradient of the exponential current
decrease is a measure of the quality of the capacitor. The steeper the curve
gradient, the better the capacitor.

The leakage current increases with temperature. After long periods of storage (at
a high temperature), the leakage current may exceed the rated value. This is
particularly important to check high voltage capacitors, where during the first turn
– on, the circuit may trip or, the worst case, cause failure due to increased value of
leakage current. Circuit designers should take into account this phenomenon while
designing. To bring down the leakage current value, reanodise the capacitor after
long periods of storage.

CAPACITOR BANK DESIGN

In some applications the required capacitance may not be achieved by using a
single Al electrolytic capacitor. This may be the case if:

- The required electrical charge is too high to be stored in a single capacitor,

- The voltages that are to be applied are higher than can be attained by the
permissible operating voltage ratings,

- Charge-discharge and ripple current loads would generate more heat than could
be safely dissipated by a single capacitor, and

- The requirements on the electrical characteristics (e.g. series resistance,

dissipation factor or inductance) are so high that it would be too difficult or even
impossible to implement them in a single capacitor. In these cases, banks of
capacitors connected in parallel or in series or in combined parallel and series
circuits will be used.

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