Capacitor Losses (ESR, IMP, DF, Q), Series or Parallel Eq. Circuit ? This article explains capacitor losses (ESR, Impedance IMP, Dissipation Factor DF/ tanδ, Quality FactorQ) as the other basic key parameter of capacitors apart of capacitance, insulation resistance and DCL leakage current. There are two types of losses:
Low loss capacitors dissipate less heat. Use of such components enables circuit designers to manage thermal issues in electronic circuits. In high RF applications, use of high ESR ceramic capacitors can lead to excessive heating. In low noise amplifiers, low ESR capacitors are used to increase efficiency and effective gain.
The loss factor varies from one dielectric material to another. Excess losses can cause the dielectric to heat leading to thermal breakdown and capacitor failure. In ceramic capacitors, dielectric losses are predominant at low frequencies. At high frequencies, these losses diminish and their contribution to the overall ESR is negligible.
Excessive metal losses can cause heating and thermal breakdown in ceramic capacitors. Unlike dielectric losses, metal losses are predominant at high frequencies. High ESR values can lead to excessive power loss and shortened battery life.
Losses Impedance and ESR A capacitor creates in AC circuits a resistance, the capacitive reactance (Formula C1-3). There is also certain inductance in the capacitor. In AC circuits it produces an inductive reactance that tries to neutralize the capacitive one.
Extended battery life is possible when using low loss capacitors in applications such as source bypassing and drain coupling in the final power amplifier stage of a handheld portable transmitter device. Capacitors exhibiting high ESR loss would consume and waste excessive battery power due to increased I2 ESR loss.