Device for automatically ascertaining capacitor breakdown voltage
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsPaul J. Berrigan, Michael J. Brennan, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Test fixtures, each being adapted to receive a capacitor, are connected through a relay network to a time variable high voltage source. Predetermined relays are energized in a predetermined sequence to connect a given capacitor to the source. A high voltage signal having a predetermined waveform is applied to the capacitor associated with an energized relay. When the current through the given capacitor exceeds a threshold, the voltage value then being applied to the capacitor determines the breakdown voltage of the capacitor.
Claims18
Apparatus for automatically measuring the dielectric breakdown voltage characteristics of each one of a plurality of capacitors, each capacitor having a first and a second lead, the apparatus comprising:
- a time variable high voltage source of electrical potential;
- a predetermined number of test fixtures, each test fixture being adapted to receive one of the capacitors to be tested;
- a relay network having a plurality of relays therein, at least one relay in the relay network being connected between each test fixture and the high voltage source;
- each test fixture comprising:
- a socket having a body with a first, a second and a third receptacle disposed in the body, the first lead on each capacitor being receivable by either the first or the second receptacle and the second lead on the capacitor being receivable by the third receptacle,
- the first receptacle being connected to a first, high voltage range, transient suppression device,
- the second receptacle being connected to a second lower voltage range, transient suppression device,
- the third receptacle being connected to the relay associated with the test fixture;
- means for energizing predetermined ones of the relays in accordance with a predetermined sequence thereby to connect the capacitor associated with each relay to the high voltage source;
- control means for controlling the output of the voltage source to apply a predetermined high voltage having a predetermined waveform associated therewith to each capacitor connected to the source by the energization of a relay;
- current monitoring means for monitoring a current flow through the capacitor connected to the source by the energization of a relay;
- and
- voltage measuring means associated with the current monitoring means for measuring the value of the high voltage when the current flow through the capacitor exceeds a predetermined breakdown current threshold, the value of the high voltage measured defining the breakdown voltage of the capacitor.
Apparatus for automatically measuring the dielectric breakdown voltage characteristics of each one of a plurality of capacitors, each capacitor having a first and a second lead, the apparatus comprising:
- a time variable high voltage source of electrical potential;
- a predetermined number of test fixtures, each test fixture being adapted to receive one of the capacitors to be tested;
- a relay network having a plurality of relays therein, at least one relay in the relay network being connected between each test fixture and the high voltage source;
- each test fixture comprising:
- a socket having a body with a first, a second and a third group of receptacles disposed in the body, each group of receptacles containing at least one receptacle, the first lead on each capacitor being receivable by a receptacle in either the first or the second group and the second lead on the capacitor being receivable by a receptacle in the third group.
- each receptacle in the first group being connected to a first, high voltage range, transient suppression device,
- each receptacle in the second group being connected to a second, lower voltage range, transient suppression device,
- each receptacle in the third group being connected to the relay associated with the test fixture;
- means for energizing predetermined ones of the relays in accordance with a predetermined sequence thereby to connect the capacitor associated with each relay to the high voltage source;
- control means for controlling the output of the voltage source to apply a predetermined high voltage having a predetermined waveform associated therewith to each capacitor connected to the source by the energization of a relay;
- current monitoring means for monitoring a current flow through the capacitor connected to the source by the energization of a relay;
- and
- voltage measuring means associated with the current monitoring means for measuring the value of the high voltage when the current flow through the capacitor exceeds a predetermined breakdown current threshold, the value of the high voltage measured defining the breakdown voltage of the capacitor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.