Aluminum electrolytic capacitors rated at 5,000 hours

Cornell Dubilier Electronics, Inc. (CDE) has improved the rated life of its high-energy-density THA and THAS Series of Thinpack aluminum electrolytic capacitors to 5,000 hours. With a 66 percent increase in rated life over the first-generation devices introduced in 2018, this improvement opens up applications that call for longer life such as military/aerospace and commercial equipment.

High-energy density is still the key strength of these capacitors, said CDE. A single THA/THAS capacitor can replace an entire board of SMT, axial or radial aluminum electrolytic or solid tantalum capacitance arrays, and require about 70 percent less board space than alternative solutions, added the company. (The THA/THAS capacitors were selected by Electronic Products as a Product of the Year for passive components in 2018.)

Offering high-energy density (up to 1.1 J/cc for the THA series and up to .9 J/cc for the THAS series) in a low-profile package, the 85°C THA Series and 105°C THAS Series capacitors measure 8.2-mm and 9-mm, respectively. They have a similar height to V-chip electrolytics, tantalums, and board-mounted axials, but offer much higher bulk-storage capability, said CDE.

The THA capacitors offer a capacitance range of 60 µF to 18,000 µF and a rated voltage range of 10 Vdc to 450 Vdc. The THAS devices provide a capacitance range of 40 µF to 18000 µF with a rated voltage range of 10 Vdc to 500 Vdc. The values range from 140 µF at 450 Vdc to 18,000 µF at 10 Vdc, with 72 capacitance/voltage (C/V) combinations available for each series.

The THA/THAS Series capacitors have sealed, laser-welded aluminum cases, which eliminate the need for end seal gaskets, thus saving space. These capacitors are up to 60 percent smaller by volume compared to traditional cylindrical electrolytic capacitors, said CDE.

Other key features include a valve to vent hydrogen gas buildups that may cause pressure-related swelling. In addition, the THAS Series adds a 0.38-mm form-fitting stainless-steel sleeve to further prevent potential swelling at the highest temperatures.

Applications include tablets, laptops, instrumentation, commercial-grade LED driver modules, compact power supplies, drones and RPVs, set-top boxes, and 1U rack-mounted devices. The capacitors are available through CDE’s franchised distributors.