Prognostics of Electrolytic Capacitors under Inrush Current Overstress

Any electronic device is prone to degradation and damage due to operational as well as environmental causes. For capacitors, a prominent cause is switching action in filters. Under a stable switching supply, the stress observed is not due to peak voltage but peak inrush current (also known as ripple current). This paper explores the analysis of degradation in pi filter capacitors of an existing safety-critical module. The results of the test conducted shall better provide a method to predict the device useful life.