What Are High Reliability Capacitors And Their Importance In Aerospace Safety?

When considering what aircraft safety cable to use on an aircraft, manufacturers should also consider whether an aircraft is equipped with high reliability capacitors. High reliability capacitors are often used in defense industries, emergency services, and space applications. Because of the demanding nature of these applications, it is incredibly important that every aspect of electronic equipment is trustworthy and reliable. 

Scenarios that might implement high reliability capacitors include stabilization of power supplies, conditioning of analog signals, aircraft controls, and more. In these functionalities, the failure of a capacitor could lead to a shutdown of the integrated system. There are two types of capacitor that are considered appropriate in these high-risk applications - multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and polymer/tantalum capacitors.

MLCCs are typically found in space applications. They are utilized when a device needs higher capacitance and additional energy storage capabilities. MLCC’s are installed in the input or output filters of power supplies. They can also be integrated in capacitor banks. The leaded configurations can be customized according to their application, but the four most common are: “S” lead, finger “L” lead, thru-hole, and solid “J” lead. The number of layered capacitors can also be adjusted depending on the needed power supply. 

Polymer and tantalum capacitors are commonly integrated in defense industries. They offer high volumetric efficiency in a compact containment. These capacitors are ideal when high capacitance is needed in a small area. As a result, the components are known for their ease of access and reliability. These components have the highest assurance of reliability for applications where failure would be extremely critical or detrimental. These capacitors are able to achieve a reliability level of 0.0001 percent per 1,000 hours.