Electrolytic Capacitor Lifetime Calculator — Power Electronics

Disclaimer: For reference and estimation purposes only. Results are indicative. Verify all designs with qualified engineers before implementation. Dr Darla accepts no responsibility for decisions made based on these estimates.

Capacitor specifications

Rated temperature T₀ (°C) iMaximum rated temperature from the capacitor datasheet. Typically 85°C or 105°C for electrolytic capacitors.

Base lifetime L₀ (hours) iRated lifetime at maximum temperature from datasheet. Typically 2000h, 3000h or 5000h.

Rated ripple current I₀ (A) From datasheet @ rated temp & frequency

Operating conditions

Ambient temperature Ta (°C) iActual ambient temperature around the capacitor inside the enclosure. Hot-spot temperature adds ΔT on top of this. Inside enclosure ambient

Internal temp rise ΔT (°C) iTemperature rise due to ripple current heating inside the capacitor. Typically 3–10°C. From datasheet or measured. Due to actual ripple current

Actual ripple current Ix (A) Measured or calculated operating current

Operating voltage Vx (V)

Rated voltage V₀ (V) Capacitor rated voltage

Application context

Target product lifetime (years)

Annual operating hours (h/year) 8760 = 24/7 continuous, 6000 = ~16h/day

Lifetime prediction

— h

Predicted lifetime (hours)

— yr

At operating hours/year

— %

Margin vs target lifetime

—

Design assessment

Multiplier breakdown (IEC/manufacturer model)

Reference: Darla R.B. and Chitra A., "Intelligent Health Monitoring of Capacitor Using Reduced Experimental Input Data", Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology, Vol.18, pp.2139–2151, 2023. Read on Springer Nature ↗

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