Abstract With the change in the overall harmonic working background of the system, the harmonic current spectrum borne by high-voltage AC shunt capacitors becomes increasingly complex, particularly with a gradual increase in high-frequency harmonic content. The wide frequency band, large value range, and long duration of harmonic current lead to increased heating of the capacitor. In this paper, a thermal field physical model is established for an AC parallel filter capacitor based on the skin effect, and trends are analysed in the current distribution of the capacitor plate under the skin effect. Furthermore, based on this established model, it is analysed how harmonic order and capacitor placement mode affect temperature field distribution within the capacitor, and it is concluded that these factors impact temperature rise release. This research lays a theoretical foundation for designing capacitor unit structures.