Glossary

Capacitor An electronic component that stores and releases electrical charge. Capacitors also act as an insulator by blocking direct current.
Capacitors are crucial components in most electronic devices, so much so that they are almost always used in electronic circuits.
Aluminum electrolytic capacitor Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are made using two films of aluminum foil with a very thin insulating oxide layer (dielectric) applied to the anode foil. A liquid electrolyte covers the oxide layer, serving in principle as the second electrode (cathode) of the capacitor. With such a very thin dielectric, these capacitors have a higher capacitance per unit volume.
Conductive polymer aluminum solid electrolytic capacitor This type of capacitor is one which uses a conductive polymer instead of the electrolytic solution used in aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Compared to electrolytic solutions, conductive polymers can exhibit high electrical conductivity and a very low resistance component. This means these capacitors have a low equivalent series resistance (ESR) value. They are also stable over the temperature range and thus likely to have a long service life.
Conductive polymer hybrid aluminum electrolytic capacitor These capacitors combine a solid conductive polymer electrolyte with a liquid electrolyte and therefore exhibit the low leakage current characteristic of liquid electrolytes, along with the low equivalent series resistance (ESR) at high frequencies characteristic of conductive polymers. They also have a stable ESR value over the temperature range compared to aluminum electrolytic capacitors.
Electric double layer capacitor These devices use an electrical double layer as the dielectric which appears at the interface between a solid and a liquid. Discharging and charging happen through the physical adsorption and desorption of ions. As a result, there is little deterioration of the electrodes and electrolytic solution giving them much longer life than batteries that use chemical reactions.
Posi-R―positive thermistor A thermistor’s resistance is strongly dependent on heat and Nichicon’s positive thermistor, Posi-R, is a positive temperature coefficient thermistor whose resistance increases as the temperature rises.
Film capacitor Film capacitors use a plastic film as the dielectric and have high insulation resistance and high-reliability. They are used in home appliances, automotive electronic devices, industrial equipment, power electronic equipment, and other appliances.
Small li-ion rechargeable battery A rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move between the negative electrode and the positive electrode during discharge and charging. This type of battery has high energy density and long service life, is fast charging and can be used in many applications.
NECST business NECST is an acronym for Nichicon Energy Control System Technology. This business is focused on developing energy and environment-related products, continuously bringing them to market to help resolve the issues surrounding carbon neutrality. Products include: Power Oasis, an industry-leading household energy storage system; EVPower Station, the world's first vehicle-to-home (V2H) system that extracts electricity from EVs supplying it back to a home; Power Mover, an external power supply device that extracts electricity from electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles; quick chargers for EVs; public and industrial power storage systems.
Power Oasis―household energy storage system The Power Oasis is equipped with a large-capacity battery that uses stored electricity to cover the high electricity costs during the day. In the event of a power outage, the system automatically switches to self-power mode delivering electricity generated by solar power and from the lithium-ion storage batteries. Once power is restored, the system automatically switches back to normal operation, enabling a safe and secure power supply.
In recent years, more and more households have opted out of the feed-in tariff schemes which pay for surplus energy produced at home, choosing the Power Oasis instead to store electricity for their own use.
Portable energy storage system A compact, lightweight, portable low-cost energy storage system which does not require installation.
EVPower Station―vehicle-to-home (V2H) system The EVPower Station is a two-way charging and power supply system that uses a large-capacity storage battery installed in EVs. In 2012, Nichicon became the first company in the world to develop and mass-produce such a vehicle-to-home (V2H) system that supplies power from EVs back into people’s homes.
Power Mover―external power feeder This is a product that extracts electricity from EVs and supplies AC power to electrical equipment plugged into the main unit.
Tribrid Energy Storage System A complete energy storage system that works efficiently with solar batteries, electric (or plug-in hybrid) vehicle batteries, and lithium-ion storage batteries for household energy storage systems, suitable for use in a variety of different situations.
EV quick charger This system converts AC power from the electric power company into DC to quickly charge EVs with the optimum voltage and current as it constantly communicates with the battery management system (BMS) installed in the vehicle’s storage battery.
Public and industrial power storage By working together with solar power and other forms of renewable energy to store power, this system can be used to save power with peak shift and peak cut, reduce carbon emissions, secure power in times of emergency, and serve as a measure for business continuity.
Switching power supply A device that smooths out the commercial AC power supply to deliver power at a stable voltage. Smoothing occurs when the input voltage is pulsed (repeated on/off square wave voltage) by switching the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) on and off.
Function module A general term for our universal circuit products that combine multiple electronic and mechanical components to perform specific functions.
Particle accelerator power supply for medical application Particle accelerators are used to produce, speed up, and control the trajectory of charged particles. They can be used in a variety of ways such as in medicine, for diagnosis and treatment using X-rays, electron beams, proton beams, etc.
Particle accelerator power supply for academic study Particle accelerators are used to produce, speed up, and control the trajectory of charged particles. They can be used for various research purposes, for example, in elucidating the structure of elementary particles, nuclei and proteins, the structure inside materials, magnetic structure, and in development studies of new materials.
Momentary voltage sag compensator / power outage compensator Compared to uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems with conventional lead-acid batteries, the momentary voltage sag compensator, which limits backup time to short durations, uses small eco-friendly lead-free electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) for its energy storage, thereby extending the service life, saving space, reducing the impact on the environment, and keeping maintenance costs down.
The power outage compensator uses a long-life, highly-reliable lithium-ion battery to give backup in a greater range of situations, from momentary drops to complete blackouts, making it highly efficient and inexpensive to run.
AI Short for artificial intelligence, the dictionary defines AI as "the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior." (Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
However, from an academic point of view, the term "artificial intelligence" is ambiguous, varying from person to person. At present, the definition of artificial intelligence is not clearly defined even among experts.
IoT An acronym for the Internet of Things. The dictionary defines IoT as “the networking capability that allows information to be sent to and received from objects and devices (such as fixtures and kitchen appliances) using the Internet.” (Merriam-Webster online dictionary)
5G 5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, and successor to the 4G networks, that meets the IMT-2020 requirements stipulated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).