Microwave Journal
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Murata's Ceramic Caps Used in Formula One Race Cars

January 27, 2009

Murata Electronics North America, an innovator in electronics and a global supplier of ceramic passive components, announced that its EVC series of multilayer monolithic ceramic capacitors (MLCC) are used in Magneti Marelli's Formula One Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) product. KERS, to be implemented in the 2009 racing season, stores energy that might otherwise be wasted when breaking and applies it to provide extra power on demand. The weight of the KERS is particularly important as the mass distribution inside the car can affect performance and even race eligibility. With weight and size being critical factors in racing, Murata's EVC series is ideal because of its small footprint (L32 × W40 × T3.7 mm) and advanced performance. Formula One cars are considered high-tech laboratories for automotive innovations and the introduction of KERS to increase energy efficiency is no exception. Automakers around the world look to Formula One for greener technologies and other improvements that they can eventually incorporate into consumer vehicles.

Murata's EVC series is also designed to withstand the punishing conditions found inside Formula One vehicles, which can reach speeds of up to 220 mph with the force of 5 gs. The EVC series capacitors are made entirely from inorganic materials and have a very high intrinsic resistance to elevated temperatures, maintaining their ripple performance over the full automotive operating temperature range. The allowable ripple current is 20A (r.m.s.) at 20 kHz, with a dielectric withstanding voltage of 750 V and maximum operating temperature of 125°C.

"The EVC series demonstrates that Murata's automotive grade capacitors can be used in a variety of environments, including the most technologically advanced cars in the world," said Mark Waugh, senior product manager for Murata Electronics North America. "Our commitment to size reduction and material enhancements make the EVC series ideal for all vehicles whether they are traversing the streets of Monaco or navigating American suburbs."