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| ESR of a boost converter output capacitor |
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| Mat219:
Hi. I'm trying to design a 200V boost converter for nixie tubes based on this schematic : https://threeneurons.wordpress.com/nixie-power-supply/hv-supply-kit/ But i don't know if my output capacitor will be good for the job. Is the capacitor ESR important for a boost converter design? And what are the effects of it? Thanks for your time everyone. |
| Dmeads:
With only 5W of output power, it shouldn't be a super bad issue, but still something to take into consideration. I was building a 300W Boost converter where ESR was a HUGE deal due to output ripple current and power dissipation. (I blew up more than a few capacitors haha). I dont believe ESR will effect the output voltage much (may cause a little ripple), but it could effect the current more. These tutorials were a great help to me: https://www.powerelectronicsnews.com/technology/the-dc-dc-boost-converter-power-supply-design-tutorial-section-5-1 some of stuff went over my head but some really did help me. Maybe it can help you out too. What I would do I calculate the ESR of your cap, then throw it in a SPICE simulator, and model it with the calculated ESR and other values. I can help you if you have LTSPICE or TINA-TI or PSPICE. See what happens at the output. To calculate ESR, you have to look at the datasheet of your cap. If it is electrolytic/aluminum, it might have the ESR listed, if not, look for the "tan(δ)" parameter. This is called the dissipation factor or DF. Then calculate ESR from this link: https://www.illinoiscapacitor.com/pdf/Papers/impendance_dissipation_factor_ESR.pdf let me know what happens. you can send a message if needed cuz i dont check the beginner forum a whole lot |
| Mat219:
Thanks for the help. I tried putting 10 ceramic capacitors in parallel at the output and if my simulation is correct, then it should be able to handle somewhere around 30W-50W at like 80-90% efficiency (Using the LT3759). Now I'm waiting for the parts to arrive and then I can start testing and hoping something doesn't blow up. |
| Dmeads:
Happy to help :) |
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