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Custom Resistor Dividers from Exxelia Ohmcraft Help Enable Innovative Downhole X-ray Inspections

ROCHESTER, N.Y., September 22, 2020 — In order to safely and successfully abandon and cap off oil wells, downhole X-ray technology is used to check the wells for any structural damage or radioactive materials. Exxelia Ohmcraft—a leader in thick-film, high-voltage, high-precision resistor design and ...

...and manufacturing—was recently tapped to develop a custom, high-voltage resistor divider for this application

For more than 15 years, Exxelia Ohmcraft has provided custom resistors for petrotechnical analysis equipment used in downhole drilling. That’s why manufacturers of the downhole X-ray inspection platform turned to Ohmcraft to help develop a custom solution for use in this new and innovative diagnostic tool, which has already generated significant demand in the market.

While cameras are able to capture images of a well’s exterior, downhole drilling X-ray platforms enable oil companies to clearly examine the inside of the well despite harsh conditions, including exposure to high temperatures, high pressures, and fluids. The X-ray inspection helps to ensure the well’s integrity and mitigate any risks.

“The process of taking X-rays deep down inside of a well involves very powerful and specialized equipment, for which the design required reliable high-voltage resistor dividers in a small form factor—a combination that manufacturers struggled to find,” said Eric Van Wormer, Vice President of Exxelia Ohmcraft. “Given our experience in downhole drilling applications and the development of custom resistor solutions, we were able to work closely with the engineers to meets their needs and help them bring this technology to life for their customers.”

Exxelia Ohmcraft’s technology utilizes the proprietary Micropen electronic printing system to “print” precise, narrow, serpentine lines with resistive ink on a ceramic substrate, producing higher performance resistors over a wider range of values on a smaller surface area than is possible with conventional film resistor technology.

Published on 23 Sep 2020 by Rebecca Charles

Introduction of DSCC 93026 qualified Wet Tantalum Capacitors

Exxelia’s range of wet tantalum capacitors WT84 is now fully qualified to DSCC 93026 drawing for voltages from 25V up to 125V. Available in all case sizes (T1, T2, T3, T4) the family is housed in a hermetically sealed tantalum case and is designed to withstand the most stringent environmental constraints. Thanks to the continuous improvements conducted in the manufacturing processes combined with the high purity tantalum powder used by Exxelia, DSCC 93026 provides the highest capacitance per unit volume. In addition, compared to conventional wet tantalum capacitors, DSCC 93026 features much lower ESR and higher ripple current. DSCC 93026 is qualified for capacitance values range from 10µF up to 1800µF at voltages from 25V up to 125V, and with operating temperatures of -55°C to 125°C. The series is ideal for use in high-reliability defense, avionics, radars and power supply applications requiring high capacitance or high energy storage. DSCC 93026 is available now for order.

Magnetic Components based on Adaptive CCM Technology at APEC – Booth# 653 –

Exxelia will exhibit the CCM series during the Applied Power Electronics Conference at Exxelia’s booth #623 from March 27-30, 2017 in Tampa, FL. Exxelia designed CCM technology to respond to the growing interest of electronic engineers for inductors and transformers with multiple outputs, high power density and reduced footprint. Qualified for aeronautic and space applications, the CCM product line features terrific robustness. The monolithic design provides high mechanical performance, proven by the successfully testing in accordance with MIL-STD-202 (methods 213 and 204). The series offers five different sizes, allowing optimized component design in a pick-and-place surface mount (SMD) package. Through-hole (TH) packages are also available upon request. The CCM series is particularly flexible with a number of pins options available, from 2×6 pins for the smallest package, up to 2×10. CCM transformers and inductors can operate over a wide temperature range with a minimal temperature of -55° C. The standard thermal grade of the technology is 140° C. Thanks to the technology design, the thermal resistance is 30% lower than standard industrial components. The epoxy molding protecting the winding ensures a lower temperature gradient and a better heat dissipation. Each unit is thoroughly tested with a dielectric withstanding strength of 1,500 VAC.  Component materials meet UL 94-V0 rating. Exxelia can evaluate losses and related temperature rise thanks to an in-depth knowledge of CCM technology. Thermal resistance data is available for each package size. Exxelia can also manufacture products in CCM technology according to MIL-STD-981.
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