Electrical power losses due to acoustic wave generation in repetitive pulsed capacitors

It is shown that mechanical forces induced by electrical fields are important both to the design of high-repetition-rate modulators and to the life of pulse capacitors. The most important parameter pertaining to modulator design is the electrical-to-acoustic power conversion. Tests were conducted in a 80-90 nS, 1000 p.p.s. discharge circuit at the full rated voltage of the capacitor. The acoustic output for mica and film/oil capacitors is largely dependent on the volume material of the case and the winding technique of the particular device. The main influence on the life of the capacitors is the electric-field-induced force. It is found that if impurities or products of electrochemical breakdown have a dielectric constant greater than that of the bulk material, these compounds will be attracted to the high-field regions of a capacitor.<>