Influence of Can Flatness on Heat Dissipation of Aluminium Electrolytic Capacitor

The lifetime of aluminium electrolytic capacitors highly depends on their core temperature. Heat dissipation in general applications happens by the extended cathode, which is in contact with the inner side of the can. In the case of heat sink applications, the most important heat transfer phenomenon is the heat conduction through the bottom of the aluminium can. The quantity of the dissipated heat is in direct proportion to the size of the heat transfer surface. The more dissipated heat may increase the lifetime of the capacitor. Therefore, the flatness value of the can bottom is critical. This paper presents a flatness measurement method, which can successfully replace the equipment for a more complex and more expensive 3D measurement. It discusses an implementation of a measurement environment, where data acquisition and visualization are automated by a LabVIEW-based software. In addition, this study deals briefly with the influence of production processes on the flatness value of the capacitor produced by leading manufacturers.