[Explanation of the Cause of Capacitor Failure] Electrolytic capacitors connected in series are shorted.

Increase the rated voltage of the capacitor to reduce the difference in leakage current, and also review the voltage divider resistance value!

We would like to introduce a case where a series-connected aluminum electrolytic capacitor short-circuited. When a capacitor with a high leakage current is included in a capacitor series, the voltage balance can be disrupted, causing the voltage to drift above the rated voltage, which may lead to the capacitor short-circuiting. For this reason, it is recommended to connect resistors (voltage divider resistors) in parallel with each individual capacitor when connecting capacitors in series. However, in this case, the leakage resistances of the individual capacitors varied significantly, causing the voltage divider resistors to not function properly. 【Countermeasures】 - To achieve a uniform voltage distribution across the series-connected individual capacitors, increase the rated voltage of the capacitors to reduce the disparity in leakage currents, and review the values of the voltage divider resistors. - Use capacitors from the same manufacturing lot to align the behavior of leakage currents against temperature changes and voltage fluctuations. - This can help stabilize the voltage division. *For more details, please refer to the PDF document or feel free to contact us.

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