Can film capacitors self-heal?

Film capacitors have the capability to self-heal, as some of them are able to remove or mitigate fault areas through a process referred to as self-healing. The ability of a film capacitor to self-heal is mainly determined by its dielectric and electrode materials.

Can a self-healing process destroy a capacitor?

Unfortunately, this mechanism can be dificult to control, and in the worst case, a run-away process can result, causing the destruction of the entire capacitor in short order. To avoid this, KYOCERA AVX developed a controlled self-healing process in 1974 based on the segmentation of overall capacitance into elementary cells protected by fuse gates.

Why should you choose a film capacitor with controlled self-healing?

Catastrophic failures and associated explosions or fires are unacceptable. Just as importantly, service lifetime and predictability for optimizing up-time are critical to the product's success. Film capacitors with controlled self-healing are the ideal solution to these challenges and can be obtained in various sizes and technical specifications.

Are capacitors safe & reliable?

In high voltage, high energy applications such as electric trains and solar power grids, the safety and reliability of capacitors are paramount. Catastrophic failures and associated explosions or fires are unacceptable. Just as importantly, service lifetime and predictability for optimizing up-time are critical to the product's success.

How does self-healing affect the life of a metallized film capacitor?

The self-healing process in a metallized film capacitor leads to an increase in the equivalent series resistance (ESR). This increase in ESR, along with changes in capacitance, contributes to the reduction of the component’s lifetime.

Are Kyocera AVX film capacitors self-healing?

This controlled self-healing technique is now the standard construction for all KYOCERA AVX’s film capacitor solutions, including dry, no free oil, and oil impregnated. these capacitors experience no As a result, catastrophic failure (short circuit).