SEMINAR REPORT ON SUPERCAPACITORS FOR HYBRID ENERGYSTORAGE APPLICATIONS

SUBMITTED BY

LEKSHMI.R.NAIR ROLL NO: 48 S7 EC CEA

CONTENTS

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION REPORT CONCLUSION

ABSTRACT

Super capacitor also known as electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), super condenser, pseudo capacitor, electrochemical double layer capacitor, or ultracapacitors, is an electrochemical capacitor with relatively high energy density. Compared to conventional electrolytic capacitors the energy density is typically on the order of hundreds of times greater. In comparison with conventional batteries or fuel cells, EDLCs also have a much higher power density. In this article the use of super capacitors likes hybrid power supply for various applications is presented. The main application is in the field of automation. The specific Power of the super capacitors and its high lifetime (1 million of Cycles) makes it very attractive for the startup of the automobiles. Unfortunately, the specific energy of this component is very low. For that this technology is associated with battery to supply the starter alternator.

INTRODUCTION

This paper offers a concise review on the use of a super capacitor in various energy storage applications. Super capacitor is also known as Electric/electrochemical double layer capacitor (EDLC) is a unique electrical storage device, which can store much more energy than conventional capacitors and offer much higher power density than batteries. Electric double-layer capacitor would have a capacitance of several farads, an improvement of about two or three orders of magnitude in capacitance, but usually at a lower working voltage. Larger, commercial electric double layer capacitors have capacities as high as 5,000 farads. These particularities make them very attractive for some applications as vehicle, electric grid, UPS, etc. So, this component can used with battery to supply the high power needed for the vehicle starting-up and acceleration, what can reduce the maximum power given by the battery and improves the lifetime of this last one. These super capacitors fill up the gap between the batteries and the conventional capacitor, allowing applications for various power and energy requirements i.e., back up power sources for electronic devices, engine start or acceleration for hybrid vehicles.

This paper deals with the the construction and working of super capacitors and its application in various electronics energy storage

applications and hybrid power supply for the vehicles. For that the battery is used us energy tank and supercapacitors to ensure the phases which need high power (startup, acceleration etc.).

REPORT

Super capacitors also known as Electric double-layer capacitors, or electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs), or ultracapacitors, are electrochemical capacitors that have an unusually high energy density when compared to common capacitors, typically on the order of thousands of times greater than a high capacity electrolytic capacitor. For instance, a typical electrolytic capacitor will have a capacitance in the range of tens of millifarads. The same size super capacitor would have a capacitance of several farads, an improvement of about two or three orders of magnitude in capacitance but usually at a lower working voltage. Larger, commercial electric doublelayer capacitors have capacities as high as 5,000farads.

In a conventional capacitor, energy is stored by the removal of charge carriers, typically electrons, from one metal plate depositing them on another. This charge separation creates a potential between the two plates, which can be harnessed in an external circuit. The total energy stored in this fashion increases with both the amount of charge stored and the Potential between the plates. The amount of charge stored per unit voltage is essentially a function of the size, the distance, and the material properties of the plates and the material in between the plates (the dielectric), while the potential between the plates is limited by breakdown of the dielectric. The dielectric controls the capacitor's voltage. Optimizing the material leads to higher energy density for a given size of capacitor.

EDLCs do not have a conventional dielectric. Rather than two separate plates separated by an intervening substance, these capacitors use "plates" that are in fact two layers of the same substrate, and their electrical properties, the so-called "electrical double layer", result in the effective separation of charge despite the vanishingly thin (on the order of nanometers) physical separation of the layers. The lack of need for a bulky layer of dielectric permits the packing of plates with much larger surface area into a given size, resulting in high capacitances in practical-sized packages.

Super capacitor technology is based the electric double layer phenomenon that has been understood for over a hundred years. However, it has only been exploited by commercial applications for about ten years. As in a conventional capacitor, in an ultracapacitor two conductors and a dielectric generate an electric field where energy is stored. The double layer is created at a solid electrode-solution interface - it is, then, essentially a charge separation that occurs at the interface between the solid and the electrolyte. Two charge layers are formed, with an excess of electrons on one side and an excess of positive ions on the other side. The polar molecules that reside in between form the dielectric. In most ultracapacitors, the electrode is carbon combined with an electrolyte. The layers that form the capacitor plate's boundaries, as well as the small space between them, create a very high capacitance. In addition, the structure of the carbon electrode, which is typically porous, increases the effective surface area to about 2000 m2/g

In general, electric double-layer capacitors improve storage density through the use of a nanoporous material, typically activated charcoal, in place of the conventional insulating barrier. Activated charcoal is a powder made up of extremely small and very "rough" particles, which in bulk form a low-density volume of particles with holes between them that resembles a sponge. The overall surface area of even a thin layer of such a material is many times greater than a traditional material like aluminum, allowing many more charge carriers (ions or radicals from the electrolyte) to be stored in any given volume. The downside is that the charcoal is taking the place of the improved insulators used in conventional devices, so in

general electric double-layer capacitors use low potentials on the order of 2 to 3 V.

Super capacitor is a double layer capacitor; the energy is stored by charge transfer at the boundary between electrode and electrolyte. The amount of stored energy is function of the available electrode and electrolyte surface, the size of the ions, and the level of the electrolyte decomposition voltage. Super capacitors are constituted of two electrodes, a separator and an electrolyte. The two electrodes, made of activated carbon provide a high surface area part, defining so energy density of the component. On the electrodes, current collectors with a high conducting part

assure the interface between the electrodes and the connections of the supercapacitor. The two electrodes are separated by a membrane, which allows the mobility of charged ions and forbids no electronic contact. The electrolyte supplies and conducts the ions from one electrode to the other.

Usually super capacitors are divided into two types: double-layer capacitors and electrochemical capacitors. The former depends on the mechanism of double layers, which is result of the separation of charges at interface between the electrode surface of active carbon or carbon fiber and electrolytic solution. Its capacitance is proportional to the specific surface areas of electrode material. The latter depends on fast faraday redox reaction. The electrochemical capacitors include metal oxide supercapacitors and conductive polymer supercapacitors. They all make use of the high reversible redox reaction occurring on electrodes surface or inside them to produce the capacitance concerning with electrode potential. Capacitance of them depends mainly on the utilization of active material of electrode.

When metal oxides/ metal oxide and carbon composite/conducting polymer and carbon composite are used as electrodes for the construction of EDLCs, the charge storage mechanism includes both double layer capacitance and pseudo capacitance which result in higher capacitance output and the EDLCs are termed as supercapacitors (SCs). One major disadvantage of carbon based EDLC is the lower specific stored energy.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUPERCAPACITORS AND BATTERY

Charge Cycles:
Ultracapacitors can be charged and discharged hundreds of

thousands (and millions) of cycles without losing performance. A battery

is only good for a limited amount of charge and discharge cycles. You probably notice this now with your cell phone or if you have a cordless phone at the house. The longer you have and more you use the less effective the battery holds the charge.

Charging Time:
As we know, batteries rely on chemical reactions and take

more time to charge unlike ultracapacitors which charge and discharge very quickly.

Size / Weight:
Batteries are larger and heavier where ultracapacitors tend

to be smaller and lighter.

Energy Density:
Typically ultracapacitors hold one fifth to one tenth the

energy of an electrochemical battery. This will be changing though as the development of ultracapacitors continue.

Energy Release:
Batteries release energy on a slower longer period of time

while capacitors release stored energy very quickly. For an electric vehicle, this quick burst will give the energy needed for passing other cars or going up a hill

ADVANTAGES

Long life, with little degradation over hundreds of thousands of charge cycles. Due to the capacitor's high number of charge-discharge cycles (millions or more compared to 200 to 1000 for most commercially available rechargeable batteries) it will last for the entire lifetime of most devices, which makes the device environmentally friendly. Rechargeable batteries wear out typically over a few years, and their highly reactive chemical electrolytes present a disposal and safety hazard. Battery lifetime can be optimised by charging only under favorable conditions, at an ideal rate and, for some chemistries, as infrequently as possible. EDLCs can help in conjunction with batteries by acting as a charge conditioner, storing energy from other sources for load balancing purposes and then using any excess energy to charge the batteries at a suitable time.

Low cost per cycle.

Good reversibility.

Very high rates of charge and discharge.

Extremely low internal resistance (ESR) and consequent high cycle efficiency (95% or more) and extremely low heating levels.

High output power. High specific power. According to ITS (Institute of Transportation Studies, Davis, California) test results, the specific power of electric double-layer capacitors can exceed 6 kW/kg at 95% efficiency.

Improved safety, no corrosive electrolyte and low toxicity of materials. Simple charge methodsno full-charge detection is needed; no danger of overcharging.

DISADVANTAGES

The amount of energy stored per unit weight is generally lower than that of an electrochemical battery (35 Wh/kg for a standard ultracapacitor, although 85 W.h/kg has been achieved in the lab as compared to 30-40 Wh/kg for a lead acid battery), and about 1/1,000th the volumetric energy density of gasoline.

Typical of any capacitor, the voltage varies with the energy stored. Effective storage and recovery of energy requires complex electronic control and switching equipment, with consequent energy loss.

Has the highest dielectric absorption of any type of capacitor. High self-discharge - the rate is considerably higher than that of an electrochemical battery. Cells hold low voltages - serial connections are needed to obtain higher voltages. Voltage balancing is required if capacitors are connected in series. Very low internal resistance allows extremely rapid discharge when shorted, resulting in a shock hazard similar to any other capacitor of similar voltage and capacitance (generally much higher than electrochemical cells).

APPLICATIONS

Applications of super capacitors in the field of consumer electronics and vehicles etc.

Consumer electronics Automotive application

 Consumer electronics

Super capacitors can be used in PC Cards, flash photography devices in digital cameras, flashlights, portable media players, solar power calculator, electronic toy, internet equipments and in automated meter reading, particularly where extremely fast charging is desirable. In 2007, a cordless electric screwdriver that uses an EDLC for energy storage was produced. It charges in 90 seconds, retains 85% of the charge after 3 months, and holds enough charge for about half the screws a comparable screwdriver with a rechargeable battery will handle. Two LED flashlights using EDLCs were released in 2009. They charge in 90 seconds.

Cordless electric screwdriver

 AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATION

In the automotive domain the supercapacitor applications are classified in three categories:

Onboard electrical systems:

Electromagnetic valve control, catalysts preheating, brake

actuators, steering.

Micro hybrid:
Integrated starter-generator, electro-hydraulic or mechanical

braking.

Mild hybrid:
Energy storage for the traction assistance.

Strong hybrid:
Energy storage for the traction.

TOPOLOGY OF A SERIES HYBRID SUPPLY FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS.

BATTER Y

CON 1 DC/DC

SUPER CAPACIT ORS

CON 2 DC/AC

STARTR ALTERN ATOR

Enhanced starting of automobile engines is another attractive application for double-layer capacitors. Today the energy required to crank an internal combustion engine, is stored in batteries, either Pb or Ni. Because of their high internal resistance, which limits the initial peak current, they have to be oversized. The fast battery discharging and the cold environmental temperature affect heavily its properties. The use of supercapacitors like power sources allows us to reduce considerably the size of the battery which will be used just like an energy source. On the other hand, the use of the converters ensures a good control of the starting-up dynamics (control of the current). Two topologies

can be distinguished for the power supply which depends to the association of the two storage components (battery and supercapacitors): in series or parallel. For the series topology the two storage systems are putted in series. In this case, the supercondensator module is charged by the battery through a chopper (Boost). The starting-up is only assured by the suspercapacitors through a chopper in the case of the starter and through the inverter in the case of the starter-alternator. This topology allows us to reduce the size of the coil which is sized for a current of 20A.

Mild and strong hybrid vehicles

These environmentally friendly drives are based on the combination of an internal combustion engine with an electric power train. The double-layer capacitors absorb the kinetic energy from braking and release it later to accelerate the vehicle. In addition, they cover the energy requirements of auxiliary electrical power equipment. The duration and magnitude of typical acceleration and braking events determines the size of the double-layer capacitor bank. The double-layer capacitors can be also a device to improve the lifetime of a storage system as they present a high number of charge/discharge cycles, withstand wide temperature ranges, require little maintenance, and be placed more optimally for vehicle ergonomics.

Fuel cell vehicles

In the future the combustion engine mechanical energy obtained from the fuel combustion could be replaced electrical engine supplied by electricity produced by a fuel cell. The promise of fuel cell technology has had a recent

resurgence due to new advancements not in fuel cells, but in the doublelayer capacitors. Indeed, high power energy storage is required in all types of fuel cell applications and double-layer capacitors are ideally suited to provide it. These improvements open up opportunities for the development of new power train and subsystem architectures utilizing both double-layer capacitors and fuel cells which can improve performance, efficiency, and cleanliness in electric and hybrid vehicle technology. In collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute, the Volkswagen group and other partners, a fuel cell vehicle has been built up with BOOSTCAPs .The fuel cell, which acts as a primary power source, is sized for the continuous load requirement. The super capacitor bank, which acts as the secondary power source, is sized for peak load leveling events such as fuel starting, acceleration and braking. These short duration events are experienced many thousands of times throughout the life of the vehicle and require relatively little energy but substantial power.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY SUPER CAPACITORS

Activated carbon used is unsustainable and expensive. Biochar is viewed as a green solution to the activated carbon currently used in super capacitor electrodes. Unlike activated carbon, biochar is the byproduct of the pyrolysis process used to produce biofuels and it is nontoxic and will not pollute the soil when it is tossed out. Biochar costs almost half as much as activated carbon, and is more sustainable because it reuses the waste from biofuel production, a process with sustainable intentions to begin with.

CONCLUSION

In this paper the use of super capacitor for various energy storage applications is described. They would have a capacitance of several farads, an improvement of about two or three orders of magnitude in capacitance, but usually at a lower working voltage. The specific Power of the super capacitors and its lifetime (1 million of Cycles) is very high. These peculiarities make it very attractive for various energy storage applications and the startup of the automobiles etc. The power density of super capacitors makes them very interesting for the applications which need high power during short time. The use of this component technology allows reducing the battery size and optimizing the lifetime of the supply.