We propose a method to monitor the ageing and damage of capacitors based on their irreversible entropy generation rate. We overstressed several electrolytic capacitors in the range of 33 µF–100 µF and monitored their entropy generation rate View the MathML source(t ). We found a strong relationship between capacitor degradation and View the MathML source(t ). Therefore, we proposed a threshold for View the MathML source(t ) as an indicator of capacitor time-to-failure. This magnitude is related to both capacitor parameters and to a damage indicator such as entropy. Our method goes beyond the typical statistical laws for lifetime prediction provided by manufacturers. We validated the model as a function of capacitance, geometry, and rated voltage. Moreover, we identified different failure modes, such as heating, electrolyte dry-up and gasification from the dependence of View the MathML source(T) with temperature, T. Our method was implemented in cheap electrolytic capacitors but can be easily applied to any type of capacitor, supercapacitor, battery, or fuel cell.

Peer Reviewed