Supercapacitors - theory

Supercapacitors - Specification

In energy storage issues, two main parameters are of fundamental importance: energy density and power density. The first parameter defines the amount of energy that can be stored in a given volume. Power density defines how this energy can be delivered from the device. The higher its value, the shorter the charging and discharging time. An ideal energy storage device should therefore offer high energy density and high power density. Unfortunately, such a compromise is difficult to achieve.

LSMtron supercapacitors today offer a solution to this problem. They are a compromise between batteries and conventional capacitors. They allow for new solutions in the field of energy storage, even considering that energy density is still lower than in conventional batteries.

A drawback of this technology may be the low operating voltage of a single cell, ranging from 2.5 – 2.8V depending on the electrolyte used. To achieve higher voltage, supercapacitors are connected in series into modules (up to 750V). In traction vehicles, for example, they are used to reduce energy losses by recovering and storing it during braking, then using it during acceleration or sudden starts.

An important property of supercapacitors is lifespan. Manufacturers provide it in years (approx. 10 years) or in the number of charge-discharge cycles (1 million). As you can see, this is a durability that is at least satisfactory, which makes a big impression compared to traditional batteries.

Properties of supercapacitors can be presented as advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• ability to store large amounts of energy,
• short charging – discharging time,
• durability up to 1,000,000 cycles or 20 years,
• wider temperature range -40°C to 65°C,
• no environmentally harmful components (lead, cadmium, etc.),
• small size and volume compared to stored energy

Disadvantages

• low voltage of a single cell,
• high price compared to conventional batteries

Applications of supercapacitors

• electric vehicles (trams, trolleybuses, hybrid cars, electric carts, etc.);
• backup memory (UPS, electronic devices, telecommunications, military industry);
• power conditioning systems (DVR);
• portable devices (laptops, mobile phones)
• renewable energy sources (wind turbines, photovoltaic cells)

Also check out resistors available in our offer!