High Energy Density Polymer Film Capacitors

Pulsed power systems for electric armament and compact weapons require increasingly smaller energy delivery systems and higher levels of reliability and component safety. Although new capacitor technologies such as double layer and electrostatic supercapacitors promise energy densities higher than 10J/cc, liquid impregnated film dielectrics with energy densities of 2.5J/cc, continue to be the state of the art technology for high dV/dt, high voltage applications. The proposed development will utilize several polymer film applications. The proposed development will utilize several polymer film innovations that have been developed at Sigma Labs and conventional capacitor technology, to accomplish a moderate improvement in energy density. In the Phase I program we propose to design and fabricate high voltage (5KV), high dV/dt (<.1ms discharge) capacitors, with an energy density of 5-6J/cc, based o existing and proven capacitor technology. The new capacitor design wll be based on Sigma's new hybrid polymer film technology that allows the production of polymer films that have improved self healing characteristics, higher breakdown strength, lower dielectric absorption and superior thermal and mechanical properties which result in higher current carrying ability. In the Phase I program 5.0mF/5300V parts with energy densities of 5-6J/cc will be produced and tested. In the Phase II program specific DoD applications will be addressed and multisection 5-20LK/26.5KV capacitors will be produced and delivered for field testing. The higher energy capacitors will serve various commercial and military applications that include implantable defibrillators, pulsed lasers, electromagnetic catapults, high energy switches, radar modulators, isotope separation lasers, directed energy weapons, countermeasure pulse generators and other applications in the power electronics industry.