AC power loss in lossy dielectric (capacitor) with DC-bias field

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SUMMARY

In a lossy dielectric capacitor characterized by a constant permittivity (eps) and loss tangent (DF), energy loss during charging is influenced by both the dielectric properties and the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the conductors. When charging from 0V to 1V, and from 1V to 2V, the energy loss is not simply proportional to the voltage change due to the complexities introduced by ESR. The energy loss during transitions is consistent when calculated using ESR, particularly for pure AC signals, but the impact of DC bias on energy loss remains a nuanced topic requiring further exploration.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of dielectric materials and their properties, specifically permittivity (eps) and loss tangent (DF).
  • Familiarity with equivalent series resistance (ESR) and its implications in capacitor performance.
  • Knowledge of AC and DC voltage characteristics and their effects on energy loss in capacitors.
  • Basic principles of circuit simulation and analysis, particularly in relation to capacitive components.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between dielectric loss and ESR in capacitors under varying voltage conditions.
  • Explore the implications of DC bias on energy loss in capacitors, particularly in lossy dielectrics.
  • Learn about the frequency characteristics of capacitors, referencing resources such as Murata's documentation on impedance and ESR.
  • Investigate circuit simulation techniques that accurately model energy loss in capacitors with both AC and DC components.
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Electrical engineers, circuit designers, and researchers focusing on capacitor performance, energy loss analysis, and the effects of dielectric properties in electronic applications.

Ohm113
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TL;DR
In a lossy dielectric with constant eps and tanD, does the energy loss increase with dc-bias while keeping the ac voltage and frequency constant?
Hi there,

if a dielectric (capacitor) is described with a constant permittivit eps (or C) and loss-tangent DF, how much energy ist lost when charging the capacitor by 1V?

For example: C=1, DF=0.1.
When charging from 0 to 1V, the lost energy (in J) is ...?
When charging from 1V to 2V, the lost energy (in J) is?

Since DF is the fraction of dissipation to stored energy, I would say the lost energy for the 1->2 transition is 3x that of the 0->1 transition. However, if a ESR equivalent resitance is calculated using ESR=DF*omega*C and that is used in a circuit simulator, the energy loss is the same for both transitions. However, the ESR approach might only be possible for pure AC signals without bias and also with a constant sinus shape. Looking forward for your discussions!

Thanks, Ohm
 
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Welcome to PF.

Ohm113 said:
Summary:: In a lossy dielectric with constant eps and tanD,

Sorry, what is "eps"?
 
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berkeman said:
Welcome to PF.
Sorry, what is "eps"?
I did a google search on "dielectric constant eps" and this is what I found, for what it's worth:

Eps=x Specifies the static (or zero-frequency) dielectric constant of the solvent. EpsInf=x Specifies the dynamic (or optical) dielectric constant of the solvent. For SMD calculations, it should be set to the square of the solvent's refractive index at 293 K.
 
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Ohm113 said:
Summary:: In a lossy dielectric with constant eps and tanD, does the energy loss increase with dc-bias while keeping the ac voltage and frequency constant?
It seems to me that this question is over-constrained, by focus on the dielectric.

It is not the dielectric loss that is important in tanD.
It is loss in the ESR of the thin foil conductors.

It is the changing capacitor voltage that generates heat in the ESR.
The DC zero or bias voltage is not important.

How can the DC bias be changed while having a zero AC component?
Surely that must be an AC voltage change.
 
Baluncore said:
It seems to me that this question is over-constrained, by focus on the dielectric.

It is not the dielectric loss that is important in tanD.
It is loss in the ESR of the thin foil conductors.
Figure 4 in this Murata document: https://article.murata.com/en-us/article/impedance-esr-frequency-characteristics-in-capacitors

shows that dielectric loss is responsible for a substantial part of the loss at frequencies below the self resonant frequency:

ESR Chart.png
 
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