Charge-Discharge behavior of series-connected printed supercapacitor modules – experimental and modelling results

Abstract

In this poster, Supercapacitors (SCs) or electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) are modeled and analyzed. Typically, SCs have considerably larger capacitance than regular capacitors. SCs are a promising element in energy storage systems due to their large specific power density, high efficiency, fast charge and discharge time and long lifespan (in both charge/discharge and time cycles) compared to batteries. We modeled the charge and discharge behavior of three series connected printed SCs. The parameters needed for modeling were defined from SCs fabricated by printing methods [1]. Besides the capacitance, also equivalent series resistance (ESR) and non-linear self-discharge were considered. The non-linear element to model the self-discharge was connected in parallel with the capacitance element. The model can be used to define the charging and discharging behavior under various conditions. The results also offer insight into the effect of device-to-device variation on energy management and to the allowable device tolerances in multi-cell modules.<br/>