ULTRA-CAPACITORS

R DINESH

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS AN ULTRA-CAPACITOR ?
WHY ULTRA-CAPACITORS ?
EQUIVALENT MODEL OF ULTRA CAPACITORS
CHARGING AND DISCHARGING
APPLICATIONS
FUTURE SCOPE FOR ULTRA-CAPACITORS
SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION
There are many energy storage
technologies that are employed in a wide
range of useful electric power systems.
For smaller storage applications at the
distribution or customer-utilization levels of
the system, batteries have been used.
Batteries have some serious drawbacks.
These drawbacks have given the industry to
search for ultra-capacitors.

What is an ultra-capacitor?

Operation

of standard capacitor
+ve terminal

-ve terminal

What
Ultra-capacitor:
An ultra-capacitor is an electrochemical
device consisting of two porous electrodes
immersed in an electrolyte solution that stores
charge electrostatically.
o The key difference of the ultra-capacitor is
that with its liquid electrolytic structure and
porous electrodes.
o Ultra-capacitor can have 100 to 1000 times
the capacitance per unit volume compared
to a conventional electrolytic capacitor.

What

Structure of Ultra Capacitor

Why Ultra-capacitors?
Ultra capacitors can be used in wide voltage
range and temperature range.
Ultra capacitors have capability of its use in
high power applications.
These are high-energy version devices of a
conventional capacitor, acts like a container
which stores electrical energy and then
delivers it whenever a sudden burst is
needed.

Why?..
These devices can hold hundreds of times
more energy per unit volume or mass when
compared to conventional capacitors.
These are better suitable for short power
requirement applications.
As these devices are made of nickel and
carbon, these are environmentally benign
unlike batteries.
Ultra capacitors have several advantages
over batteries and fuel cells.
Ultra capacitors are extensively used in
electrical power systems, due to their high
efficiency and high current capability.

Why?..
Characteristic

Asymmetrical

Ultra-

Deep Cycle lead-Acid Battery

capacitor
Deep Discharge Cycle Life

10,000 100,000+

1000 2000

efficiency

90% +

70 90%

Charging time

Seconds to minutes

Many hours

-50 to +50 C little impact

Must be kept near room temperature

on life or performance

to optimize life and performance

20 40

150 200

2 10

0.1 0.5

Charge/Discharge Cycle

Temperature Range
Typical Maximum Energy
Density (KJ/kg) Long
duration discharges
Typical Maximum Power
Density (KW/kg)

EQUIVALENT MODEL OF ULTRA

CAPACITORS

Charging and Discharging

Ultra capacitors can be charged with many
sources, but a cell balancing circuit is
needed for safe operation of them.
Constant current and constant power
sources work better for charging of ultra
capacitors.
CELL BALANCING CIRCUIT:
o Passive Cell Balancing
o Active Cell Balancing

Cell Balancing Circuit..

Passive Balancing Circuit
o Used for low duty cycle applications that can tolerate
higher leakage.
o By installing a resistor in parallel with each cell.
o Slow response due to the linearity of leakage
current.

Active Balancing Circuit.

Cell Balancing Circuit..

Active Balancing Circuit
o High duty-cycle applications.
o Fast, accurate equalization of the voltage
distribution.
o High cost..

Charging

Charging
Constant Current Charging

Charging
Constant Power Charging

Discharging

Discharging
Ultra capacitor has two voltage
components, Capacitor and resistive
component.
The capacitive component represents the
voltage change due to the change in energy
within the ultra capacitor.
The resistive component represents the
voltage due to the equivalent series
resistance(ESR)of the ultra capacitor.

Discharging

Applications
Ultra capacitors have its extensive
advantages in real-world, due to its features
of quick charging, wide operating voltages
and temperatures.
In electric vehicle applications ultra
capacitors permit fast acceleration,
extended battery life by freeing it from
stressful high power tasks.
o Engine Start
o Regenerative Braking
o Flash Memory Solution
o UPS

Applications

Quick Charging applications: Ultra

capacitors charge in seconds where as
batteries take hours to charge. Wireless
power tools employing an ultra capacitor
can be charged just before use.
Memory backup applications.
All weather quick start.

Palmdale Water District Demonstration

Future scope for Ultra capacitors

Energy Density:
o The Ultra capacitors lag behind the batteries
in the energy density. The energy density of
batteries is 10 times more than the ultra
capacitors.
o This is being investigated to make the
energy density of ultra capacitors more than
batteries by the usage of carbon nanotubes
by increasing the surface area.

Future scope for Ultra capacitors

TUCAP:
o Ultra capacitors focusses on the next
generation FACTS, that incorporate a
recently developed semiconductor switch
ETO and advanced controls with commercial
ECs. This is given name as Transmission
Ultra CAPacitor (TUCAP).
o TUCAP is intended to provide active and
reactive power support to electric utilities for
power system stability and power quality
improvement.
o The Tennessee Valley Authority, is the
current customer for this project.

Summary

Ultra capacitors structure..

Why..
Charging..
Applications..
PWD..
TUCAP..