Abstract: Capacitor is widely used in the DC link and AC filter of power electronic converters applications. It is typically a high-failure component in converter systems and its reliability has become a major focus of attention in recent years. The failure or deterioration of capacitors can lead to a decline in filtering capabilities, which can ultimately lead to the overstressing of components and even the catastrophic failure of the converter system. More realistic testing (i.e., application-oriented) and a better understanding of failure mechanisms and failure modes are key to build-in capacitor reliability in power converter products through design. For availability-critical or safety-critical applications, condition and health monitoring is another reliability engineering tool to reduce unscheduled failure through operation management (i.e., maintenance). Therefore, to address the challenges of capacitor reliability in power electronic converters, this presentation will discuss (1) Robust and Unified Capacitor Stress Emulation Methods;(2) Aging Testing and Failure Analysis of one type of AC Film Capacitors; (3) Non-intrusive Condition Monitoring Methods of Capacitors.
