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Problem Description I am trying to design a BLDC inverter and I am in doubt of what would be the right approach for estimating the input capacitor size/type. Doing it empirically or throwing every...
#2: Post edited
Estimating the input capacitance of an BLDC inverter
- Estimating the input capacitance of an BLDC motor controller
#1: Initial revision
Estimating the input capacitance of an BLDC inverter
**Problem Description** I am trying to design a BLDC inverter and I am in doubt of what would be the right approach for estimating the input capacitor size/type. Doing it empirically or throwing everything in SPICE is one approach, but I would like to understand what is going under the hood and at least start from somewhere. Since there are infinite possible solutions, I know I need to fix some variables before going any further. The initial thought was to allow for "V" volts of ripple at the input. After I fixed this and knowing what the value of ripple current is, "Iripple", I can get the max allowed resistance "R" of the input capacitance network because ripple current is what is causing the input voltage ripple. Therefore I have: > Rcap_max = Vripple/Iripple Ok, still no clue about the capacitance value so I need to move forward. We know about "i = C * dv/dt" - if I rearrange this in order to find the minimum capacitor value I have: > Cmin=I* D /(fsw*Vin_max); "D" being the duty cycle Based on "Cmin" and "Rcap_max" I can choose the input capacitance. **But...** Previous calculations assumed zero impedance coming out of the external cables connected to the DC-link power terminals. With the increase of the cable length, cable impedance would increase and will form a pole at: > f=1/(2pi*sqrt(Lcable * Cinput)) This would cause ringing which could potentially damage the inverter. --------------------------------------------------------------- **Questions** (1) How can I determine the maximum cable length(or inductance, to make the problem simpler) which can be used given the input capacitance value? Do I set the pole at i.e. "fsw/10"(Hz) and then work backward? (2) Is there a better way of approaching it using the "napkin math" approach?