Tantalum capacitors and energy storage

What is a tantalum capacitor used for?

Two primary functions that tantalum capacitors are ideally suited for are bulk energy storage and waveform filtering. In addition to maximum working voltage and voltage derating, an important characteristic of any capacitor is its ability to store an electrical charge. Some applications require the capacitor to store large amounts of charge.

Are solid tantalum capacitors a good investment?

Solid tantalum capacitor manufacturers can make improvements in physical design and materials that reduce the overall ESR of the capacitor. These lower ESR capacitors will lead to reductions in heat generation within the capacitor, thus improving overall circuit efficiency and long-term reliability.

What is a tantalum polymer (Tapoly) capacitor?

Tantalum and Tantalum Polymer (TaPoly) capacitors are also high CV devices, but extremely stable across temperature and voltage. Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors (EDLC), commonly known as supercapacitors, are peerless when it comes to bulk capacitance value, easily achieving 3000F in a single element discrete capacitor.

Can a tantalum capacitor be used in parallel?

In some cases, a single tantalum capacitor is sufficient, but in more demanding applications, multiple capacitors may be configured in parallel so that their capacitance values are cumulative and the combined resistance of the array is reduced. The second factor is the ESR of the capacitors.

Are solid tantalum devices suitable for bulk energy storage?

Solid tantalum devices are well-suited for bulk energy storage due to their high and stable capacitance values and are widely used to hold up voltage rails during times of peak current demand. Here, two factors must be considered. The first is the total capacitance required to supply the required energy for the necessary time.

What are low ESR tantalum capacitors?

Low ESR tantalum capacitors can improve circuit power efficiency, reduce heat generation for the circuit, and increase low-term reliability. When choosing a capacitor for any application, there are a few key characteristics that must be understood in order to analyze its suitability for the circuit.