PTCEL Series PTC Inrush Current Limiter and Energy Load-Dump Thermistors

Vishay's PTCEL series of high-energy-absorbing PTC thermistors are suitable for controlled charging and discharging of high-energy capacitors with voltage levels up to 1,200 V_DC. They are designed with dense bulk ceramic pellets capable of absorbing high energy levels up to 240 J (at +25°C ambient) for the PTCEL17 types and 150 J for the PTCEL13 types. Resistance values (at +25°C) can be selected from a wide range between 60 Ω and 1,000 Ω. For applications needing higher energy levels or short interval times at higher ambient temperatures, several PTCEL thermistors can be connected in series/parallel to form a network of energy-absorbing thermistors. The PTCEL is through-hole mounted to the PCB and can be either wave-soldered or PIP-reflow soldered. The self-protecting characteristics of ceramic PTC technology will prevent any overheating or overloading of the component and limit the current in the circuit to a safe low level. The charge or discharge energy can be applied to the PTC in short times ranging from 10 ms to a few seconds. The absorbed energy is dissipated away in a few minutes so the PTC can cool down to ambient temperature and be ready for another inrush current limiting operation. These thermistors can withstand highly repetitive charge or discharge cycles (greater than 100,000) in automotive or industrial applications. The PTCEL series is AEC-Q200-qualified and UL-recognized. In addition to off-the-shelf selection, the PTCEL series can be customized to circuit designer specifications including different resistance values or voltage and energy levels.