Ripple Current Calculator | Capacitor Ripple Current for Power Circuits

The Ripple Current occurs when voltage is smoothed out by the fluctuating flow of current through a circuit or component. It is common for an electrical circuit to retain a small amount of AC voltage ripple, even after filtering or regulating. The AC ripple can result in an unwanted fluctuation in DC voltage levels due to power supply variations or other factors.

Output Voltage (V):

Input Voltage (V):

Ripple Current Calculator – Estimate Capacitor Ripple Current for Power Circuits

RMS Voltage Across Capacitor (V_RMS) * Enter the root mean square (RMS) voltage across the capacitor in volts (V).

Capacitance (C) * Enter the capacitance in microfarads (μF).

Ripple Frequency (f) * Enter the ripple frequency in Hertz (Hz). For full-wave rectified mains, use 100 or 120 Hz.

DC Voltage Across Capacitor (V_DC) (optional) (Optional) Enter the DC voltage across the capacitor in volts (V) for reference.

Waveform Type * Sine Wave Triangle Wave Square Wave Select the type of voltage ripple waveform.

Example Presets:

Standard Power Supply (2.5V RMS, 470μF, 120Hz, Sine)

Audio Amp Filter (1.2V RMS, 1000μF, 100Hz, Triangle)

Low Ripple SMPS (0.5V RMS, 220μF, 50Hz, Square)

Industrial Rectifier (4V RMS, 330μF, 60Hz, Sine)

High Cap Filter (3V RMS, 680μF, 120Hz, Triangle)

Calculate Reset

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Switching Frequency (Hz):

Inductance (H):

Calculate

Ripple Current (A):

 

What is Ripple Current Calculator?

The ripple current calculator works by calculating how much ripple will flow through a circuit. Using this type of calculator is especially helpful in electronic circuit design, where ripple current can mess with the output voltage and reduce efficiency.

A ripple current calculator takes into account several key factors when calculating the ripple current. They include the input voltage, output voltage, switching frequency, and inductance of the circuit. By entering these values into the calculator, the user can determine how much AC ripple will flow through the circuit, so they can design circuits with the right amount.

Formula for Ripple Current Calculation:

Example:

Let’s say we have an electronic circuit with an input voltage of 12V, output voltage of 5V, switching frequency of 50kHz, and inductance of 100μH. We can use the formula above to calculate the ripple current as follows:

Iripple = 5/12 * (12 – 5)/(50,000 * 100 x 10^-6)

Iripple = 0.04167 A or 41.67 mA

This means that the ripple current in the circuit is 41.67 milliamperes, which is the amount of AC ripple that will flow through the circuit or component.

To calculate ripple current using a ripple current calculator, follow these steps:

1. Determine the input voltage, output voltage, switching frequency, and inductance of the circuit.
2. Enter these values into the ripple current calculator.
3. The calculator will use the formula Iripple = Vo/Vi * (Vi – Vo)/(Fs * L) to calculate the ripple current.
4. The calculated value will be displayed in the output field.
5. If necessary, round the value to the appropriate number of decimal places for better readability.

The use of ripple current calculators can help circuit designers ensure that they are operating with the appropriate level of ripple current, preventing unwanted peaks and valleys in the output voltage and improving overall circuit efficiency.