Nanodielectrics for High Energy Density Capacitors

We propose to develop a novel capacitor film with nanodielectric blocking layer for energy storage capacitor applications. The innovative dielectric materials combine the high dielectric constant, high temperature stability, high dielectric breakdown strength, low dielectric loss, fast discharge speed, and long lifetime of two different components. In addition, the capacitor film can be manufactured with inexpensive film processing machine in a short time. The film capacitors will be designed and fabricated utilizing the unconventional nanodielectric capacitor film, state-of-the-art film metallization technology to promote self healing, and robust capacitor design and packaging. The advanced capacitors will have energy density above 10 J/cc, dielectric loss lower than 0.01, dielectric breakdown strength above 600 V/ƒÝm and Weibull shape parameter above 30, and self healing feature. The high energy density, high performance film capacitors can be used to enable the miniaturization of the electrical power system on the air and space platform to support more electric aircraft and high voltage loads for direct-energy weapons. BENEFIT: There are numerous applications that will benefit from the improved energy storage capacitors with high voltage endurance, long lifetime, fast discharge, low loss, and high energy density. These capacitors can be used in pulse-forming networks (PFNs) for the conversion of prime electrical energy into the necessary short pulses of energy needed to energize loads such as high power microwave, directed energy, kinetic energy weapons, and high power microwave. The Army is developing future vehicles which require compact electrical power systems. The Navy is developing the all-electric ship in which the power requirements of future Naval vessels will not be as dominated by propulsion as current ships and it may be desirable to be able to transfer energy between uses. This will require storage and conditioning of vast amounts of power. In addition, weapons, catapult systems and other military technologies that demand pulses of power would require very large banks of dielectric capacitors. In parallel, the Air Force is developing more-electric-aircrafts and the Army is trying to develop all electric tanks. Compact, high-energy-density, pulse-power capacitors will be the enabling technology for all future weapon systems that the DoD plans to pursue. In addition, these advanced capacitor film can also be used for implantable cardiac defibrillators, external defibrillators, and capacitor bank for hybrid electric vehicles.