Boosting Batteries
How Supercapacitors Boost Batteries
Batteries are the principal devices used for most electrical energy storage. However, these devices are inefficient in pulsed and high power applications. Supercapacitors, another type of electrochemical energy storage device, are used to improve the efficiency, extend the run times and increase the cycle-lives of batteries by handling these pulsed and high power events.
Currently available commercial supercapacitors fall short of cost targets established for large-scale applications including power management for electrified vehicles during acceleration and regenerative braking, back-up power for telecommunications, and peak power buffering for renewable energy sources such as wind turbines.