Any time I'm inside a case, I try to move electrolytics away from power
resistors, heatsinks and other sources of heat, just for S&G.. it may help.

Because electrolytics are heated internally in most SMPS (secondary side)
applications, I wouldn't think extra venting or supplemental cooling with a
tiny fan would add much toward the caps' lifetimes.. they're just destined
to fail.

When a fan is near a power transformer, for example, it may lower the
surface temperature somewhat, which in turn "draws" more heat from the core,
but the core remains substantially hotter than the outer surface.

Electrolytic caps are smaller, and aluminum outer shells, but there is often
a (heat) insulating/blocking air layer between the can and the actual
layered materials in the center.
Air is an excellent heat insulator, so cooling the can wouldn't so much have
a chilling effect on the core, IMO.

Perhaps cooling the copper traces on the PCB would be a more effective
approach.. the internal aluminum foil ends are secured/in contact with the
cap's copper leads, which are in turn soldered to the PCB foil, and copper
is a very good conductor of heat, so the heat transfer could be somewhat
significant.
Definite maybe.

Unrelated drivel:
I recently had a small accident with an RCA/China VR5220-A pocket digital
voice recorder, where it slipped into the sink while the water was on, so I
opened it to get all traces of the water out.
I was just a little surprised to see 105 C rated electrolytics inside (all
of 'em, and quite a few, too)

--
Cheers,
WB
..............


"N_Cook" wrote in message
...
Wild_Bill wrote in message
...
I don't know anything related to this TV, but bad capacitors which show
visible signs of defects are generally a result of only one type of fault
(internal heating).



Does anyone routinely add a small 12V fan/baffles/ducting in such
circumstances? as well as changing caps