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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

A General Reliability Model for Ni-BaTiO3-Based Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors

The evaluation of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with Ni electrode and BaTiO3 dielectric material for potential space project applications requires an in-depth understanding of their reliability. A general reliability model for Ni-BaTiO3 MLCC is developed and discussed. The model consists of three parts: a statistical distribution; an acceleration function that describes how a capacitor's reliability life responds to the external stresses, and an empirical function that defines contribution of the structural and constructional characteristics of a multilayer capacitor device, such as the number of dielectric layers N, dielectric thickness d, average grain size, and capacitor chip size A. Application examples are also discussed based on the proposed reliability model for Ni-BaTiO3 MLCCs.

statistical modeling↗
NASA NTRS2012

Accelerated Aging Experiments for Capacitor Health Monitoring and Prognostics

This paper discusses experimental setups for health monitoring and prognostics of electrolytic capacitors under nominal operation and accelerated aging conditions. Electrolytic capacitors have higher failure rates than other components in electronic systems like power drives, power converters etc. Our current work focuses on developing first-principles-based degradation models for electrolytic capacitors under varying electrical and thermal stress conditions. Prognostics and health management for electronic systems aims to predict the onset of faults, study causes for system degradation, and accurately compute remaining useful life. Accelerated life test methods are often used in prognostics research as a way to model multiple causes and assess the effects of the degradation process through time. It also allows for the identification and study of different failure mechanisms and their relationships under different operating conditions. Experiments are designed for aging of the capacitors such that the degradation pattern induced by the aging can be monitored and analyzed. Experimental setups and data collection methods are presented to demonstrate this approach.

Prognostics of Electronics↗
NASA NTRS2014

A General Reliability Model for Ni-BaTiO3-Based Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors

The evaluation for potential space project applications of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with Ni electrode and BaTiO3 dielectric material requires an in-depth understanding of the MLCCs reliability. A general reliability model for Ni-BaTiO3 MLCCs is developed and discussed in this paper. The model consists of three parts: a statistical distribution; an acceleration function that describes how a capacitors reliability life responds to external stresses; and an empirical function that defines the contribution of the structural and constructional characteristics of a multilayer capacitor device, such as the number of dielectric layers N, dielectric thickness d, average grain size r, and capacitor chip size A. Application examples are also discussed based on the proposed reliability model for Ni-BaTiO3 MLCCs.

statistical modeling↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evaluation of 10V Chip Polymer Tantalum Capacitors for Space Applications

Due to low ESR and safe failure mode, new technology chip polymer tantalum capacitors (CPTC) have gained popularity in the electronics design community, first in commercial applications, and now in hi-rel and space systems. The major drawbacks of these parts are high leakage currents, degradation under environmental stresses, and a relatively narrow temperature range of operating and storage conditions. Several studies have shown that a certain amount of moisture in polymer cathodes is necessary for a normal operation of the parts. This might limit applications of CPTCs in space systems and requires analysis of long-term exposure to deep vacuum conditions on their performance and reliability. High leakage currents and limited maximum operational temperature complicate accelerated testing that is necessary to assess long-term reliability and require new screening and qualification procedures for quality assurance. A better understanding of behavior of CPTCs as compared to traditional, MnO2, capacitors is necessary to develop adequate approaches for QA system for space applications. A specific of CPTCs is that different materials and processes might be used for low-voltage (10 V and less) and high-voltage (above 10 V) capacitors, so performance and degradation processes in these groups require separate analysis. In this work, that is a part of the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) program, degradation of AC and DC characteristics under environmental stresses at different temperatures and voltages have been studied in nine lots of commercial and automotive grade capacitors rated to 10 V. Results of analysis of leakage currents, high temperature storage (HTS) up to 5000 hrs in vacuum and air at different temperatures, and Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) in the range from 85 C to 145 C are presented. Temperature and voltage acceleration factors were calculated based on approximation of distributions of degradation rates with a general log-linear Weibull model. Mechanisms of degradation and failures, and requirements for screening and qualification testing are discussed.

Tantalum Capacitors↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Thermal Runaway Failure Model for Low-Voltage BME Ceramic Capacitors with Defects

Reliability of base metal electrode (BME) multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) that until recently were used mostly in commercial applications, have been improved substantially by using new materials and processes. Currently, the inception of intrinsic wear-out failures in high quality capacitors became much greater than the mission duration in most high-reliability applications. However, in capacitors with defects degradation processes might accelerate substantially and cause infant mortality failures. In this work, a physical model that relates the presence of defects to reduction of breakdown voltages and decreasing times to failure has been suggested. The effect of the defect size has been analyzed using a thermal runaway model of failures. Adequacy of highly accelerated life testing (HALT) to predict reliability at normal operating conditions and limitations of voltage acceleration are considered. The applicability of the model to BME capacitors with cracks is discussed and validated experimentally.

reliability↗
NASA NTRS2017

Degradation and ESR Failures in MnO2 Chip Tantalum Capacitors

Equivalent series resistance (ESR) of chip tantalum capacitors determines the rate of energy delivery and power dissipation thus affecting temperature and reliability of the parts. Employment of advanced capacitors with reduced ESR decreases power losses and improves efficiency in power systems. Stability of ESR is essential for correct operations of power units and might cause malfunctioning and failures when ESR becomes too high or too low. Several cases with ESR values in CWR29 capacitors exceeding the specified limit that were observed recently raised concerns regarding environmental factors affecting ESR and the adequacy of the existing screening and qualification testing. In this work, results of stress testing of various types of military and commercial capacitors obtained over years by GSFC test lab and NEPP projects that involved ESR measurements are described. Environmental stress tests include testing in humidity and vacuum chambers, temperature cycling, long-term storage at high temperatures, and various soldering simulation tests. Note that in many cases parts failed due to excessive leakage currents or reduced breakdown voltages. However, only ESR-related degradation and failures are discussed. Mechanisms of moisture effect are discussed and recommendations to improve screening and qualification system are suggested.

Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR)↗
NASA NTRS2019

Degradation of ESR in Polymer Tantalum Capacitors During High Temperature Storage

Replacement of MnO2 cathodes with conductive polymers in chip tantalum capacitors allows for a substantial reduction of the equivalent series resistance (ESR), improvement of frequency characteristics, and elimination of the possibility of ignition during failures. One of the drawbacks of chip polymer tantalum capacitors (CPTCs) is a relatively poor long-term stability at high temperatures. Due to degradation processes in conductive polymer materials, the existing quality assurance testing that has been developed for MnO2 capacitors is not sufficient to guarantee long-term stability of CPTCs. Insertion of CPTCs in hi-rel systems requires development of models that can predict degradation of the parts at operating conditions. In this work, variations of AC characteristics (capacitance, DF and ESR) in different types of capacitors from three manufacturers have been monitored during storage at temperatures from 100ºC to 175ºC for periods of up to 15,000 hours. Results show that the most sensitive to degradation parameter is ESR. Distributions of times to parametric failure during storage have been simulated using a Weibull-Arrhenius model that allowed for assessments of activation energies of degradation and prediction of times to failure at use temperatures. Mechanisms of degradation and the effect of packaging are discussed.

equivalent series resistance (ESR)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Validation of Flying-Capacitor Multilevel Converters Under Short-Circuit Fault Conditions

Addressing the increasing demand for high- efficiency and high-power-density converters, the flying-capacitor multilevel converter has shown itself as a promising topology. A key advantage of this topology is the reduced voltage rating of the switches, though also makes it vulnerable to device failure during short-circuit conditions. Despite large interest in fault-tolerant operation of these converters, alongside detailed descriptions of flying capacitor balancing, little research has focused on the converter short-circuit fault analysis, which may cause a switch failure if not properly designed for. Therefore, this work presents a comprehensive model describing the large- signal short-circuit switching behavior of a general N -level flying- capacitor multilevel converter. Highly simplified models used to predict the evolution of the switch current and voltage stress during the fault are proposed, targeted at practicing engineers for conservative design guidelines. These models are used to determine the critical time for remedial action of the converter before reaching some predefined maximum conditions. A 2-to-10- level fully-configurable flying-capacitor multilevel converter and a fault circuit hardware prototype are used to experimentally perform different short-circuit tests that show a good match to the measured behavior.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Capacitor Voltage Ripple Reduction of A 4-Level Hybrid Clamped Converter Using Switching State Redundancy for Medium-Voltage Drive

Abstract—A four-level Hybrid Clamped Converter (4LHCC) is a novel promising DC/AC multilevel converter for high-efficiency medium-voltage drives. This paper presents a new control method of the 4L-HCC using the switching state redundancy to reduce the DC-link capacitor voltage ripples at low frequencies (<=30 Hz). The new switching state selection algorithm and flying capacitor balancing method are introduced and analyzed.Both of a3.6 kV 1MW 4L-HCC simulation model and a SiC-based 4L-HCC prototype is established to verify the proposed method. Simulation and experimental result shows that the maximum DC-link capacitor ripple can be reduced effectively from over 50% to less than 5% at low frequencies with the new method. Meanwhile, load voltage and currentdistortion caused by the excessive capacitor rippleisalso mitigatedsignificantly.

hybrid clamped converter, motor drive, voltage bal↗
DOE OSTI2018

Tethered Capacitor Charge Mitigation in Electron Beam Experiments

Energetic electron beams have been proposed for tracing magnetic field lines from the magnetosphere down to the ionosphere, in active experiments aimed at diagnosing mechanisms at play in the coupling between magnetosphere and ionosphere. It is recognized however that in the absence of an efficient mitigation technique, this approach would lead to unacceptably large spacecraft charging and positive potential buildup, which would result in environmental hazard for the spacecraft. This problem would be particularly acute in low density regions of the magnetosphere of interest in the study of magnetic field reconnection and substorm dynamics. A solution to this predicament could consist of creating a plasma contactor whereby a gas puff would be ionized, leading to the evacuation of positive charges and collection of cold electrons, thus compensating for the charges lost in the electron beam. A possible alternative is presented here, which consists of attaching a large passive conducting surface to the spacecraft, a “tethered capacitor”, from which negative charges would be drawn to compensate for those lost from the beam. This capacitor would then charge to a large positive potential, leaving the spacecraft and electron gun at a lower, acceptable positive potential. The tethered capacitor could have a relatively small mass; consisting only of a thin conducting surface that would be “inflated” as a result of repulsive electrostatic forces. This charge mitigation concept, as applied to active electron beam experiments, is explored using three dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations from which scaling laws can be inferred for the spacecraft and tethered capacitor potentials under proposed electron beam operations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1972

Thermal expansion compatibility of ceramic chip capacitors mounted on alumina substrates.

The thermal expansion coefficients of a representative sample of BaTiO3 and TiO2 ceramic chip capacitors and alumina substrates have been examined. These data have revealed large potential mechanical stresses under thermal cycling. A mathematical analysis of a composite model of the capacitor to predict the thermal expansion and modulus of elasticity and an analysis of the capacitor-substrate system to predict the magnitude of thermally induced stresses have been conducted. In all cases studied, thermally induced stresses great enough to cause capacitor body rupture or termination failure was predicted.

Allen, R. V.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Improvement program for polycarbonate capacitors

Hermetically sealed, wound, AC, polycarbonate capacitors incorporating design improvements recommended in a previous study were designed and built. A 5000 hour, 400 Hz ac life test was conducted using 384 of these capacitors to verify the adequacy of the design improvements. The improvements incorporated in the capacitors designed for this program eliminated the major cause of failure found in the preceding work, termination failure. A failure cause not present in the previous test became significant in this test with capacitors built from one lot of polycarbonate film. The samples from this lot accounted for 25 percent of the total test complement. Analyses of failed samples showed that the film had an excessive solvent content. This solvent problem was found in 37 of the total 46 failures which occurred in this test. The other nine were random failures resulting from causes such as seal leaks, foreign particles, and possibly wrinkles.

Bailey, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A measurement technique of time-dependent dielectric breakdown in MOS capacitors

The statistical nature of time-dependent dielectric breakdown characteristics in MOS capacitors was evidenced by testing large numbers of capacitors fabricated on single wafers. A multipoint probe and automatic electronic visual display technique are introduced that will yield statistical results which are necessary for the investigation of temperature, electric field, thermal annealing, and radiation effects in the breakdown characteristics, and an interpretation of the physical mechanisms involved. It is shown that capacitors of area greater than 0.002 sq cm may yield worst-case results, and that a multipoint probe of capacitors of smaller sizes can be used to obtain a profile of nonuniformities in the SiO2 films.

Li, S. P.↗
NASA NTRS1976

High energy density capacitors for vacuum operation with a pulsed plasma load

Results of the effort of designing, fabricating, and testing of a 40 joules/lb (88.2 joules/Kg) high voltage energy storage capacitor suitable for operating a pulsed plasma thruster in a vacuum environment for millions of pulses are presented. Using vacuum brazing and heli-arc welding techniques followed by vacuum and high pressure helium leak tests it was possible to produce a hermetically sealed relatively light weight enclosure for the dielectric system. An energy density of 40 joules/lb was realized with a KF-polyvinylidene fluoride dielectric system. One capacitor was D.C. life tested at 4 KV (107.8 joules/lb) for 2,000 hours before it failed. Another exceeded 2,670 hours without failure at 38.3 joules/lb. Pulse life testing in a vacuum exceeded 300,000 discharges with testing still in progress. The D.C. life test data shows a small decrease in capacitance and an increase in dissipation factor with time. Heat transfer from the load to the capacitor must also be considered besides the self-heat generated by the capacitor.

Guman, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Guidelines for the selection and application of tantalum electrolytic capacitors in highly reliable equipment

Guidelines are given for the selection and application of three types of tantalum electrolytic capacitors in current use in the design of electrical and electronic circuits for space flight missions. In addition, the guidelines supplement requirements of existing military specifications used in the procurement of capacitors. A need exists for these guidelines to assist designers in preventing some of the recurring, serious problems experienced with tantalum electrolytic capacitors in the recent past. The three types of capacitors covered by these guidelines are; solid, wet foil, and tantalum cased wet slug.

Holladay, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Fabrication and Testing of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Capacitors

High energy density capacitors made from metallized polyvinylidene fluoride film were built and tested. Terminations of aluminum-babbitt, tin-babbitt, and all-babbitt were evaluated. All-babbit terminations appeared to be better. The 0.1 microfarad and 2 microfarad capacitors were made of 6 micrometer material. Capacitance, dissipation factor, and insulation resistance measurements were made over the ranges -55 C to 125 C and 10 Hz to 100 kHz. Twelve of forty-one 0.1 microfarad capacitors survived a 5000 hour dc plus ac life test. Under the same conditions, the 2 microfarad capacitors exhibited overheating because of excessive power loss. Some failures occurred after low temperature exposures for 48 hours. No failures were caused by vibration or temperature cycling.

Buritz, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Polyvinylidene fluoride film as a capacitor dielectric

Thin strips of polyvinylidene fluoride film (PVDF) with vacuum deposited electrodes were made into capacitors by conventional winding and fabrication techniques. These devices were used to identify and evaluate the performance characteristics offered by the PVDF in metallized film capacitors. Variations in capacitor parameters with temperature and frequence were evaluated and compared with other dielectric films. Their impact on capacitor applications is discussed.

Dematos, H. V.↗