Article: Power electronic converters without electrolytic capacitors Journal: International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology (IJRET) 2019 Vol.10 No.1/2 pp.83 - 92 Abstract: Power electronic converters may have a quite long lifetime, but some applications such as converters for automotive and photovoltaic could even desire a longer life. One of the elements to increase the lifetime of converters is to avoid electrolytic capacitors. They can be replaced by metalised film capacitors or ceramic capacitors. A lot of converter types can be re-designed to use them, but it influences the way of designing, as a lower capacitance value is used. Electrolytic capacitors are one of the elements that reduce the lifetime of power electronic converters gradually an adapted design can avoid that electrolytic capacitors have to be used in converters. A range of examples can be shown from fractions of watts up to Gigawatt. The purpose is to give an overview of topologies, not to discussing them in detail: for example gate drive circuits, single and three-phase converters where film capacitors are used in the DC link and high voltage DC converters. These techniques are useful to prolong the life of converters and to allow higher ambient temperatures, typical application domains are PV and other grid connected converters, converters for battery charging and general electric vehicle applications. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Power electronic converters without electrolytic capacitors

Authors: Alex P.M. Van Den Bossche; Salim Haddad; Mourad Mordjaoui

Addresses: Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Electrical Energy Laboratory EELAB, Ghent University, Belgium ' Mechanical Engineering Department, LGMM Laboratory, University of 20 aout 1955-Skikda, Algeria ' Electrical Engineering Department, LRPCSI Laboratory, University of 20 aout 1955-Skikda, Algeria

Abstract: Power electronic converters may have a quite long lifetime, but some applications such as converters for automotive and photovoltaic could even desire a longer life. One of the elements to increase the lifetime of converters is to avoid electrolytic capacitors. They can be replaced by metalised film capacitors or ceramic capacitors. A lot of converter types can be re-designed to use them, but it influences the way of designing, as a lower capacitance value is used. Electrolytic capacitors are one of the elements that reduce the lifetime of power electronic converters gradually an adapted design can avoid that electrolytic capacitors have to be used in converters. A range of examples can be shown from fractions of watts up to Gigawatt. The purpose is to give an overview of topologies, not to discussing them in detail: for example gate drive circuits, single and three-phase converters where film capacitors are used in the DC link and high voltage DC converters. These techniques are useful to prolong the life of converters and to allow higher ambient temperatures, typical application domains are PV and other grid connected converters, converters for battery charging and general electric vehicle applications.

Keywords: power electronic converters; electrolytic capacitors; lifetime.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRET.2019.097006

International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology, 2019 Vol.10 No.1/2, pp.83 - 92

Received: 23 Oct 2017
Accepted: 31 Mar 2018
Published online: 14 Dec 2018 *

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Title: Power electronic converters without electrolytic capacitors

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