Wide Temperature, High Energy Density Capacitors for Power System Conditioning

Advanced electronics and weapons systems in current and future US military systems are placing ever increasing demands on the electric power systems that drive these electronics. These power systems require operation at higher power loads, in more compact designs, and at a reduced weight. Improved wide-temperature capacitors are a key part of the new generation of power systems, as the currently available capacitors do not provide consistent operating parameters and high energy density over a wide temperature range. Luna Innovations proposes to develop metallized polymer nanocomposite film capacitors to provide high energy density over a wide temperature range (-55 to 300 oC). Metallized polymer capacitors have significant advantages over their ceramic, electrolytic, and glass counterparts, including mechanical reliability, high energy density, graceful failure, low-cost materials and processing, and a lack of ferroelectric and piezoelectric transitions. Luna has already demonstrated a polymer nanocomposite with high energy density and reliable dielectric parameters over the range of 25 to 150 oC. In Phase I, Luna will utilize improved materials to achieve the thermal operating range and further improve energy density, work with capacitor manufacturers to ensure economical scale-up in later phases, and develop a prototype capacitor design incorporating the polymer nanocomposite.