Supercapacitor-Based Long Time-Constant Circuits: A Unique Design Opportunity for New Power Electronic Circuit Topologies

摘要

Supercapacitor (SC), or electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), technology has matured well during the past two decades into three commercial variations with capacitance values ranging between 1 and 50,000 F. Compared to electrolytic or film-type capacitors with the same canister size, they offer capacitance that is more than 1 million times larger, with a one to two order smaller equivalent series resistance (ESR). A smaller ESR means a very high current charge or discharge capability without excessive heating of the device. One major limitation is the lower dc voltage ratings of less than 5 V.