Capacitor Evaluation for Compact Pulsed Power

An evaluation of the energy density and efficiency of high-voltage capacitors, from various manufacturers, at voltages above their rated level is presented. Characteristics such as decreasing capacitance, decreasing efficiency, and increasing energy density are described. Data are taken from eight capacitors; six of which are composed of varying nonlinear ceramic materials as a dielectric, and the remaining two are wound capacitors, which were chosen to exhibit their linear characteristics. Rapid (1-100 ms) charging and discharging, similar to that of a generator operation at a repetition rate of more than 10 Hz with an _~ 100-ns pulse, were the conditions simulated in this particular test setup.