ABSTRACT
Supercapacitors have been established as a compelling solution to high-power buffering applications due to their ability to bank and supply power at levels an order of magnitude beyond the capabilities of electrochemical battery technologies per unit weight. This superior power density has been utilized for regenerative breaking (Rotenberg et al., 2011), elevator (Rufer and Barrade, 2002), and automated starting systems for combustion engines (Catherino et al., 2006). Additionally, recent developments have also begun using supercapacitors for energy storage applications in order to take advantage of their excellent charge discharge efciency as well as their power density capabilities. Energy efciency is especially critical for self-sustaining environmentally powered systems, where efcient storage/use of a limited energy supply can prolong the time of operation and improve the quality of service. Another useful characteristic of supercapacitors is their relationship between terminal voltage and remaining stored energy. This relationship provides more accurate energy awareness for systems with dynamic supply and usage of power.
