Vibration & Acceleration-Resistant Automotive Hybrid Capacitors
Panasonic Corporation has developed an anti-vibration, surface-mounted conductive-polymer hybrid aluminum electrolytic capacitor suitable for use in power circuits for automotive electric control units (ECUs) employed in hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles, and gasoline-powered vehicles. The company will launch the capacitor in January 2018.
With the growing demand for eco-friendly cars, energy efficiency and the need to comply with environmental regulation, more ECUs are being employed in cars. Mechanical and electrical in-vehicle components are also becoming integrated. This trend has created a need for more compact ECUs combined with better resistance to vibration.
The capacitors employed to stabilize the voltage of a power circuit for the ECU and eliminate electronic noise are therefore increasingly required to be smaller in size and to show better anti-vibration performance. Panasonic claims the industry's first surface-mounted conductive polymer hybrid aluminum electrolytic capacitor which is only 6.3mm in diameter and achieves resistivity of 30G high vibration acceleration.
Panasonic's new conductive-polymer hybrid aluminum electrolytic capacitor have the following features:
- The capacitor is 6.3mm in diameter and is highly vibration acceleration resistant, contributing to smaller and more vibration-resistant ECUs.
- Size: 6.3 mm in diameter, and 6.1mm or 8.0mm in height
- The newly developed capacitor withstands the vibration acceleration of 30G The conventional capacitor withstands vibration acceleration is 10G to the same aluminum electrolytic capacitor.
- The capacitor renders unnecessary the anti-vibration techniques that are conventionally part of the board mounting process, thus allowing customers to streamline their production processes.
- It reduces the use of bonding-based reinforcing measures, such as attachment using adhesives.
- The capacitor benefits from Panasonic's unique auxiliary terminal structure, which offers highly reliable soldering properties.
Target applications include: Power circuits for high-performance ECUs incorporated in hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles, and gasoline-powered vehicles, mechanical-electrical-integrated ECU circuits. Product features include:
- Anti-vibration capacitor achieving a 6.3mm diameter for the first time in the industry that contributes to miniaturization of the ECU combined with effective resistance to vibration
The pressure to reduce the size, weight and number of power train-type ECUs mounted in cars has led to a change in their placement from the engine compartment to the engine itself. This has increased the need for the capacitors incorporated in ECUs of this type to be small, high-capacitance, and extremely anti-vibration.
Currently, most capacitors with superior anti-vibration performance are 8mm to 10mm in diameter. The industry, however, needs a smaller type. Leveraging our own auxiliary terminal structure, Panasonic has commercialized anti-vibration capacitor with a diameter of 6.3mm that withstands vibration acceleration of 30G for the first time in the industry. This new capacitor will contribute to miniaturization of the ECU and provide better overall resistance to vibration.
- The new capacitor removes the need for anti-vibration reinforcement as part of the board mounting process, allowing customers to streamline their production processes
The conventional ECU board mounting process requires anti-vibration measures, such as anchoring components with adhesives, to make the ECU resistant to vibration if using non-vibration-resistant components. The developed capacitor has achieved anti-vibration performance high enough to withstand a vibration acceleration of 30G, making such anti-vibration measures unnecessary, thus allowing customers to streamline their production processes.
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- The capacitor has Panasonic's unique auxiliary terminal structure that offers reliable soldering properties
This auxiliary terminal structure has auxiliary terminals positioned on the sides of the capacitor. This eases visual confirmation of auxiliary terminal soldering, ensures stable soldering properties, and enhances the ECU's overall vibration resistance.
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