Signs and superstitions 

Capacitors for 24v to save energy. Supercapacitors for starting engines. Voltage stabilization of the on-board network at high loads

Supercapacitors can be called the brightest development of recent years. In comparison with conventional capacitors, they, with the same dimensions, differ by three orders of magnitude in greater capacity. For this, the capacitors received their prefix - “super”. In a short period of time, they can give off a huge amount of energy.

They are produced in various sizes and shapes: from very small ones, which are attached to the surface of devices, no larger than a coin in size, to very large cylindrical and prismatic ones. Their main purpose is to duplicate the main source (battery) in the event of a voltage drop.

Energy-intensive modern electronic and electrical systems place high demands on power supplies. Emerging equipment (from digital cameras to electronic portable devices and electric vehicle transmissions) needs to accumulate and supply the necessary energy.

This problem is solved by modern developers in two ways:

  • Using a battery capable of delivering a high current pulse
  • By connecting in parallel with the battery as insurance for supercapacitors, i.e. hybrid solution.

In the latter case, the supercapacitor acts as a power source when the battery voltage drops. This is due to the fact that batteries have a high energy density and low power density, while supercapacitors, on the contrary, are characterized by low energy density, but high power density, i.e. they provide the discharge current to the load. By connecting a supercapacitor in parallel with the battery, you can use it more efficiently, therefore, extending the service life.

Where are supercapacitors used?

Video: Supercapacitor test 116.6F 15V (6 * 700F 2.5V), instead of a starter battery in a car

In automotive electronic systems, they are used to start motors. thereby reducing the load on the battery. They also allow you to reduce weight by reducing wiring diagrams. They are widely used in hybrid cars, where the internal combustion engine controls the generator, and the electric motor (or motors) drive the car, i.e. the supercapacitor (energy cache) is used as a current source during acceleration and start of movement, and during braking it is “recharged”. Their use is promising not only in passenger cars, but also in urban transport, since a new type of capacitors can reduce fuel consumption by 50% and reduce the emission of harmful gases into the environment by 90%.

I can’t completely replace the supercapacitor battery yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Using a supercapacitor instead of a battery is not a fantasy at all. If scientists - nanotechnologists from QUT University follow the right path, then in the near future this will become a reality. The body panels, inside which are the latest generation supercapacitors, will be able to act as batteries. Employees of this university managed to combine the advantages of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors in a new device. The new thin, light and powerful supercapacitor consists of carbon electrodes with an electrolyte between them. The novelty, according to scientists, can be installed anywhere in the body.

To improve, thanks to the large torque (starting), starting characteristics at low temperatures and expand the capabilities of the power system, they can do it right now. The expediency of their use in the power system is explained by the fact that the time of their charging / discharging is 5-60 seconds. In addition, they can be used in the distribution system of some machine devices: solenoids, door lock adjustment systems and window glass position.

DIY supercapacitor

You can make a supercapacitor with your own hands. Since its design consists of an electrolyte and electrodes, you need to decide on the material for them. Copper, stainless steel or brass is quite suitable for electrodes. You can take, for example, five-kopeck old coins. You will also need charcoal powder (you can buy activated charcoal at the pharmacy and grind it). Ordinary water will “fit” as an electrolyte, in which you need to dissolve table salt (100:25). The mortar is mixed with charcoal powder to form a putty consistency. Now its layer of a few millimeters must be applied to both electrodes.

It remains to choose a gasket that separates the electrodes, through the pores of which the electrolyte will freely pass, but the coal powder will linger. Fiberglass or foam rubber is suitable for these purposes.

Electrodes - 1.5; carbon-electrolyte coating - 2.4; gasket - 3.

You can use a plastic box as a casing, having previously drilled holes in it for wires soldered to the electrodes. Having connected the wires to the battery, we wait until the “ionix” design is charged, so named because different concentrations of ions should form on the electrodes. It is easier to check the charge with a voltmeter.

There are other ways. For example, using tin paper (steel foil - a chocolate wrapper), pieces of tin and waxed paper, which you can make yourself by cutting and immersing strips of tissue paper in melted, but not boiling, paraffin for a couple of minutes. The width of the strips should be fifty millimeters, and the length should be from two hundred to three hundred millimeters. After removing the strips from the paraffin, it is necessary to scrape off the paraffin with the blunt side of the knife.

Paraffin-impregnated paper is folded in the form of an accordion (as in the figure). On both sides, steel sheets are inserted into the gaps, which correspond to a size of 45x30 millimeters. Having thus prepared the workpiece, it is folded, then ironed with a warm iron. The remaining frame ends are connected to each other from the outside. For this, cardboard plates and brass plates with tin clips can be used, to which the conductors are later soldered so that the capacitor can be soldered during installation.

The capacitance of the capacitor depends on the number of steel sheets. It is equal, for example, to a thousand picofarads when using ten such sheets, and two thousand if their number is doubled. This technology is suitable for the manufacture of capacitors with a capacity of up to five thousand picofarads.

If a large capacitance is needed, then it is necessary to have an old microfarad paper capacitor, which is a roll of tape consisting of strips of waxed paper, between which a strip of steel foil is laid.

To determine the length of the strips, use the formula:

l \u003d 0.014 C / a, where the capacitance of the required capacitor in pF is C; stripe width in cm - a: length in cm - 1.

Having unwound strips of the required length from the old capacitor, they cut off 10 mm foil on all sides in order to prevent the capacitor plates from connecting to each other.

Again, the tape must be rolled up, but first by soldering the stranded wires to each strip of foil. From above, the structure is pasted over with thick paper, and on the edges of the paper that protrude, two mounting wires (hard) are closed, to which the paper leads from the capacitor are soldered from the inside of the sleeve (see figure). The last step is to fill the structure with paraffin.

Advantages of carbon supercapacitors

Since the procession of electric vehicles across the planet today cannot be ignored, scientists are working on the issue related to its fastest charging. There are many ideas, but only a few are brought to life. In China, for example, in the city of Ningbo, an unusual urban transport route has been launched. The bus plying on it is powered by an electric motor, but it takes only ten seconds to charge it. On it, he overcomes five kilometers and again, during the disembarkation / landing of passengers, he manages to recharge.

This became possible thanks to the use of a new type of capacitors - carbon.

Carbon Capacitors withstand about a million recharge cycles, work perfectly in the temperature range from minus forty to plus sixty-five degrees. Up to 80% of energy they return during recovery.

They ushered in a new era in power management, reducing the time of discharging and charging to nanoseconds, reducing the weight of the car. To these advantages, you can add a low cost, since rare earth metals and environmental friendliness are not used in the manufacture.

Is it possible to use capacitors in vehicles instead of whimsical, short-lived and maintenance-requiring batteries? It turns out that it is possible, and the advantages of the capacitor in front of the battery are enough to abandon the batteries, and if not completely, then at least supplement the battery capacity, which is greatly reduced in the cold, with the capacity of the capacitor. We will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of both sources of electricity in this article.

Just a few years ago, one or two farad capacitors were considered exotic and were shown only at exhibitions of wealthy music lovers. Now these capacitors can be bought at any auto acoustics stall, and capacitors of even greater capacity are not difficult to find in specialized stores selling heavy-duty Hi-Fi audio systems (about music on a car or motorcycle).

And what makes me especially happy is that at the present time the Russian industry, still several years ahead of both Eastern and Western manufacturers, has mastered the small-scale production of the latest type of super capacitors, the capacity of which is tens of thousands of farads!

A bit of theory.

As you know, the capacitor consists of separated charges - positive, on one plate electrode and negative charges on the other. Without going into much detail, I will only note that the energy (capacity) that a capacitor is able to take directly depends on the area of ​​​​the electrode plates, as well as on the distance between them. And the larger this area and the smaller the distance between the plates, the more favorable for the accumulation of a larger charge.

It follows from this that by increasing the first condition, and decreasing the second, success in this matter can be achieved. But it's as simple as that. And how is it in reality? In the latest capacitors, carbon porous material is used to make the negative electrode, and that's where the whole fun is. Thanks to this material, a seemingly ordinary flat plate, thanks to its porous structure, seems to have a second dimension (the area of ​​the plates increases). From this, the area of ​​accumulation of charges increases significantly!

We have achieved an increase in the area of ​​​​the plates, it remains to work with the distance. The new name for the newest super capacitors is electric double layer capacitors. Their peculiarity is that electricity is accumulated in a special area, that is, at the interface between the electrolyte and the solid. From this, the distance between the area of ​​​​position of negative and positive charges is much reduced, as much as 2-3 orders of magnitude!

From all of the above, we can finally say that it's time for these super tanks to take their place under the hood of the car, but in what capacity? There are several options, but consider the most realistic ones.

Using a capacitor as the main source of electricity for the engine (electric traction).

Electric bus Luzhok travels quite fast. Smoke coming out from the gasoline interior heater is visible from below.

More recently, no one took batteries for electric cars seriously. But electric cars are already starting to flood the world, for example, an electric taxi is already operating in London. This means that the path for capacitors is extremely clear, especially if you take into account their advantages over the battery, but about the advantages a little later. Let me just say that a “live” example, which runs on electricity from traction capacitors, can be seen in the photo on the left. This is an environmentally friendly bus, or to be precise, an electric bus called Luzhok, which is manufactured in small batches in the town of Troitsk near Moscow (at the Esma plant). Only here, to heat the interior in cold weather, you have to turn on the stove, which runs on gasoline, but this, as they say, is trifles.

The electric bus is used to transport tourists over short distances (up to 10 km), for example, through parks and reserves, which are subject to strict environmental restrictions. Luzhok will make its first commercial flights through the territory of the Moscow All-Russian Exhibition Center. One charge of capacitors is enough somewhere for 8-10 km. Then 10-15 minute charging and again on the road (batteries would have to be charged for at least 20 hours). For example, if you go to work, which in small towns can be only within 5 - 10 km, then such a car would be the most, especially for everyday trips. After all, the cycle of charge and discharge of capacitors, unlike a battery, is almost endless. In addition, the car is not as heavy as a bus, which means that the mileage per charge can increase.

In addition to buses, the company produces a few Gazelles, several loaders and an electric car for transporting goods around the plant. The main difference between all this capacitor technology and battery technology is that it can be used around the clock, because it takes a few minutes to charge them. And although they are also discharged quickly, the service life of capacitors exceeds the service life of batteries ten times.

Using a capacitor as a battery helper when starting in cold weather.

The use of a new type of capacitors in machines as a traction force is, of course, useful and interesting, but not the most relevant. It is much more useful to use them as a short-term electric force of large capacity, and first of all to start the car engine. This is already used by military equipment engineers, and tests and improvements are constantly being carried out on army equipment. For example, two hefty batteries of 190 ampere hours each, with a frost of minus 45 degrees, are able to make only one fifteen-second scroll of the Kamaz starter (and, accordingly, the frozen Kamaz engine). But if you connect in parallel a capacitor with a capacity of only 0.18 kF, then the Kamaz engine starter will already make several such cold scrolls! The difference is obvious, this is especially useful for equipment used in the Far North, for example, military and construction equipment.

Of course, for drivers who live in warmer climates, the benefits of capacitors that are not afraid of the cold are not so useful. But the main thing is different. Capacitors are not dangerous for high current density, and they withstand a huge number of charge-discharge cycles, and even do not require maintenance at all. But the most important thing is that the capacitor will double the battery life. After all, when there is only one battery (especially not a new one), it is considered unusable if it starts to cope poorly with starting duties, especially in cold weather. But paired with a capacitor connected in parallel, the old battery will serve as long as it is able to recharge it. And as I said, the battery turns into a long-liver.

In addition, paired with a colleague capacitor, the battery capacity of your car or motorcycle can be halved. For a passenger car with an engine of 1.5 - 1.8 cubes, 25 Ah will be enough, and only 60 Ah will be enough for a truck. And it will no longer be possible to use a starter-type battery, which is designed for high currents, but to use a regular one, which usually has a 2-3 times longer service life. As a result, the combination of a battery plus a capacitor will significantly increase the life of this pair. And in order not to change the battery on their car for 15 years, many people dream of this, and by this time, people usually change the car to a fresher one. So it turns out that such a couple (battery and capacitor) is enough for the entire life of the machine. But most importantly, drivers will forget about the difficult start in the cold, and such words “brother, give me a light, I can’t start” can be forgotten (how to safely light a cigarette from someone else’s car,).

What can be said in the end. Super capacitors of the new generation are still produced in small batches, they cost twice as much as a normal battery, and probably will not find their buyers soon, at least our domestic ones. Few capacitors go to foreign consumers, but this is not much support for our industry. But if desired, and normal sponsors, for advertising and the development of cheaper mass production, this business can be set up in a normal way. Everything is possible. After all, no one wanted to buy expensive new-generation batteries either, at the beginning of their production. And now electric car manufacturers are buying them by the ton, and this is just the beginning. I think that new capacitors will soon be in great demand, and if they do not completely replace batteries, they will become reliable assistants. Wait and see. Good luck everyone!

People first used capacitors to store electricity. Then, when electrical engineering went beyond laboratory experiments, batteries were invented, which became the main means for storing electrical energy. But at the beginning of the 21st century, it is again proposed to use capacitors to power electrical equipment. How possible is this and will batteries finally become a thing of the past?

The reason why capacitors were supplanted by batteries was due to the much larger amounts of electricity that they are able to store. Another reason is that during discharge the voltage at the output of the battery changes very little, so that a voltage regulator is either not required or can have a very simple design.

The main difference between capacitors and batteries is that capacitors directly store electrical charge, while batteries convert electrical energy into chemical energy, store it, and then convert chemical energy back into electrical energy.

When energy is converted, part of it is lost. Therefore, even the best batteries have an efficiency of no more than 90%, while for capacitors it can reach 99%. The intensity of chemical reactions depends on temperature, so batteries work noticeably worse in cold weather than at room temperature. In addition, the chemical reactions in batteries are not completely reversible. Hence the small number of charge-discharge cycles (on the order of a few thousand, most often the battery life is about 1000 charge-discharge cycles), as well as the “memory effect”. Recall that the “memory effect” is that the battery must always be discharged to a certain amount of accumulated energy, then its capacity will be maximum. If, after discharging, there is more energy left in it, then the battery capacity will gradually decrease. The “memory effect” is characteristic of almost all commercially available types of batteries, except for acid ones (including their varieties - gel and AGM). Although it is generally accepted that it is not characteristic of lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries, in fact they also have it, it simply manifests itself to a lesser extent than in other types. As for acid batteries, the effect of sulfation of the plates is manifested in them, causing irreversible damage to the power source. One of the reasons is the long stay of the battery in a state of charge of less than 50%.

With regard to alternative energy, the "memory effect" and plate sulfation are serious problems. The fact is that the supply of energy from sources such as solar panels and windmills is difficult to predict. As a result, the charge and discharge of batteries occur chaotically, in a non-optimal mode.

For the modern rhythm of life, it is absolutely unacceptable that batteries have to be charged for several hours. For example, how do you imagine driving a long distance in an electric car if a dead battery will keep you waiting for several hours at a charging point? The charging rate of a battery is limited by the speed of the chemical processes taking place in it. You can reduce the charging time to 1 hour, but not to several minutes. At the same time, the charging rate of the capacitor is limited only by the maximum current that the charger can provide.

The listed disadvantages of batteries made it relevant to use capacitors instead.

Using an electric double layer

For many decades, electrolytic capacitors have had the largest capacitance. In them, one of the plates was a metal foil, the other was an electrolyte, and the insulation between the plates was metal oxide, which covered the foil. For electrolytic capacitors, the capacitance can reach hundredths of a farad, which is not enough to fully replace the battery.

Large capacitance, measured in thousands of farads, allows you to get capacitors based on the so-called double electric layer. The principle of their work is as follows. A double electric layer arises under certain conditions at the boundary of substances in the solid and liquid phases. Two layers of ions are formed with charges of the opposite sign, but of the same magnitude. If we greatly simplify the situation, then a capacitor is formed, the “plates” of which are the indicated layers of ions, the distance between which is equal to several atoms.

Capacitors based on this effect are sometimes called ionistors. In fact, this term is not only for capacitors in which an electric charge is stored, but also for other devices for storing electricity - with a partial conversion of electrical energy into chemical energy along with the conservation of an electric charge (hybrid ionistor), as well as for batteries based on electric double layer (so-called pseudocapacitors). Therefore, the term "supercapacitors" is more appropriate. Sometimes the identical term "ultracapacitor" is used instead.

Technical implementation

The supercapacitor consists of two plates of activated carbon, filled with electrolyte. A membrane is located between them, which allows the electrolyte to pass through, but prevents the physical movement of activated carbon particles between the plates.

It should be noted that supercapacitors themselves do not have polarity. In this they are fundamentally different from electrolytic capacitors, which, as a rule, are characterized by polarity, non-observance of which leads to the failure of the capacitor. However, polarity is also applied to supercapacitors. This is due to the fact that supercapacitors leave the factory assembly line already charged, the marking means the polarity of this charge.

Parameters of supercapacitors

The maximum capacitance of an individual supercapacitor, reached at the time of writing, is 12,000 F. For mass-produced supercapacitors, it does not exceed 3,000 F. The maximum allowable voltage between the plates does not exceed 10 V. For mass-produced supercapacitors, this indicator, as a rule, lies within 2, 3 - 2.7 V. Low operating voltage requires the use of a voltage converter with a stabilizer function. The fact is that during discharge, the voltage on the capacitor plates varies over a wide range. Building a voltage converter to connect the load and charger is not a trivial task. Let's say you need to power a load with 60W of power.

To simplify the consideration of the issue, we neglect the losses in the voltage converter and stabilizer. In the event that you are working with a conventional battery with a voltage of 12 V, then the control electronics must withstand a current of 5 A. Such electronic devices are widespread and inexpensive. But a completely different situation develops when using a supercapacitor, the voltage of which is 2.5 V. Then the current flowing through the electronic components of the converter can reach 24 A, which requires new approaches to circuitry and a modern element base. It is the complexity with the construction of the converter and stabilizer that can explain the fact that supercapacitors, the serial production of which was started back in the 70s of the XX century, have only now become widely used in various fields.

Supercapacitors can be connected to batteries using a series or parallel connection. In the first case, the maximum allowable voltage increases. In the second case - capacity. Increasing the maximum allowable voltage in this way is one way to solve the problem, but you will have to pay for it with a decrease in capacitance.

The dimensions of supercapacitors naturally depend on their capacitance. A typical 3000 F supercapacitor is a cylinder about 5 cm in diameter and 14 cm long. At 10 F, the supercapacitor is about the size of a human fingernail.

Good supercapacitors are capable of withstanding hundreds of thousands of charge-discharge cycles, surpassing batteries in this parameter by about 100 times. But, like electrolytic capacitors, supercapacitors face the problem of aging due to the gradual leakage of the electrolyte. So far, no complete statistics of failure of supercapacitors for this reason has been accumulated, but according to indirect data, the service life of supercapacitors can be approximately estimated at 15 years.

Stored energy

The amount of energy stored in a capacitor, expressed in joules:

where C is the capacitance, expressed in farads, U is the voltage on the plates, expressed in volts.

The amount of energy stored in the capacitor, expressed in kWh, is:

Hence, a capacitor with a capacity of 3000 F with a voltage between the plates of 2.5 V is able to store only 0.0026 kWh. How can this be correlated, for example, with a lithium-ion battery? If we take its output voltage independent of the degree of discharge and equal to 3.6 V, then the amount of energy 0.0026 kWh will be stored in a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 0.72 Ah. Alas, a very modest result.

Application of supercapacitors

Emergency lighting systems are where the use of supercapacitors instead of batteries is a big win. In fact, it is for this application that uneven discharge is characteristic. In addition, it is desirable that the emergency luminaire be charged quickly, and that the backup power source used in it be more reliable. A supercapacitor backup power supply can be integrated directly into the T8 LED lamp. Such lamps are already produced by a number of Chinese firms.

As already noted, the development of supercapacitors is largely associated with interest in alternative energy sources. But practical application is still limited to LED lamps that receive energy from the sun.

Such a direction as the use of supercapacitors to start electrical equipment is actively developing.

Supercapacitors are capable of delivering large amounts of energy in a short amount of time. By powering electrical equipment at start-up with a supercapacitor, you can reduce peak loads on the power grid and ultimately reduce the headroom for starting currents, achieving huge cost savings.

By combining several supercapacitors into a battery, we can achieve a capacity comparable to the batteries used in electric vehicles. But this battery will weigh several times more than the battery, which is unacceptable for vehicles. The problem can be solved by using graphene-based supercapacitors, but so far they exist only as prototypes. However, a promising version of the famous "Yo-mobile", powered only by electricity, will use a new generation of supercapacitors, which are being developed by Russian scientists, as a power source.

Supercapacitors will also give a win when replacing batteries in conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles - their use in such vehicles is already a reality.

So far, the most successful of the implemented projects for the introduction of supercapacitors can be considered new Russian-made trolleybuses, which have recently entered the streets of Moscow. When the voltage supply to the contact network is interrupted or when the current collectors “fly off”, the trolleybus can drive at a low (about 15 km / h) speed of several hundred meters to a place where it will not interfere with traffic on the road. The source of energy for such maneuvers for him is a battery of supercapacitors.

In general, while supercapacitors can displace batteries only in certain "niches". But technologies are rapidly developing, which allows us to expect that in the near future the scope of supercapacitors will expand significantly.

Alexey Vasiliev

The supercapacitor is designed for installation in cars of various types, it is a modern source for the accumulation and output of pulsed energy at the right time. This energy can be used both to start the engine with a dead or frozen battery, and to stabilize the voltage of the car's on-board network.

Titan modules allow:

  • to give out the necessary voltage to start the engine at low temperatures (up to -40 ° C);
  • start the internal combustion engine with a discharged battery, which is not able to provide starting current, but has enough energy to charge the supercapacitor module;
  • start the engine on a frozen or discharged battery with a pre-heater;
  • to give the right amount of pulsed energy for the stable operation of the on-board network under heavy loads;
  • increase the reliability of operation, reduce the risk of failure of the elements of the electrical network of the vehicle due to overload;
  • increase battery life by 2-4 times.

Voltage stabilization of the on-board network at high loads

The module is connected in parallel with the standard battery. This type of connection requires a good condition of the standard battery. It is used to stabilize the voltage of the on-board network.

The supercapacitor will help with the functioning of devices that consume a large amount of energy in a short period of time. Such loads occur, for example, during the operation of serious audio systems or a winch on an off-road vehicle. Such shock loads cause damage to the battery. Due to the lower internal resistance and the ability to take on a pulsed load, the supercapacitor provides a comfortable operating mode for the battery and extends its service life.

Titan will help start the engine in the cold. Temperatures below -10°C negatively affect the battery capacity, which can lead to problems when starting the internal combustion engine. The capacitance of the supercapacitor practically does not change in cold weather, this will allow it to always give maximum energy to the circuit to scroll the starter.

Parallel connection type, with buffer module

Name MSKA-54-16
Rated voltage (V) 16
Rated capacity (F) 54
<10,9
270
Dimensions (mm) Length 254
Width 40
Height 80
Weight, kg) 1
Engine size (cm 3) Before 1600
Not available
Name MSKA-108-16-K
Rated voltage (V) 16
Rated capacity (F) 108
Internal resistance (mΩ) <5,2
Maximum discharge current, (A) (impulse no more than 1 sec) 540
Dimensions (mm) Length 254
Width 40
Height 150
Weight, kg) 2
Engine volume up to 2200
Not available
Name MSKA-162-16
Rated voltage (V) 16
Rated capacity (F) 162
Internal resistance (mΩ) <3,4
Maximum discharge current, (A) (impulse no more than 1 sec) 800
Dimensions (mm) Length 244
Width 100
Height 100
Weight, kg) 2,4
Engine volume Up to 3500
Not available

Starting the engine with a dead battery

The module is connected in series to the standard battery and directly to the starter terminals. This option provides a constant voltage at the starter terminals, which is necessary for a reliable start of the internal combustion engine. The use of Titan modules for serial connection will be relevant for vehicles with a large number of additional equipment that consumes electricity. For example, in taxis, police, ambulances, etc., where lighting equipment, a walkie-talkie, and GPS navigation are constantly working. The operation of the equipment constantly drains the battery charge, and the generator, with the constant operation of the internal combustion engine at idle, does not provide sufficient charge. The use of supercapacitors with low internal resistance, high power density and reliable energy output at low temperatures allows starting at a low battery charge (from 9 Volts) and at low temperatures.

The supercapacitor will also be useful for car owners with an installed system that prepares the internal combustion engine for starting in cold weather. All preheaters are powered by a battery and discharge it during the heating process, so there is a possibility of starting problems even on a warm engine.

Features of the operation of the Titan module with preheaters:

  • Guaranteed start of a warmed-up internal combustion engine, when the battery is discharged by the heater;
  • Reducing the load on a frozen battery.

The starter may not be scrolled only due to severe wear and / or a very low battery charge, which is not able to provide current to the retractor relay.

Serial connection type, with DC-DC converter

Name MSKA-108-16-P
Rated voltage (V) 16
Rated capacity (F) 108
Internal resistance (mΩ) <5,7
Maximum discharge current, (A) (impulse no more than 1 sec) 540
Dimensions (mm) Length 250
Width 100
Height 100
Weight, kg) 2,4
Engine volume up to 2200
Not available

Name MSKA-162-16-P
Rated voltage (V) 16
Rated capacity (F) 162
Internal resistance (mΩ) <3,8
Maximum discharge current, (A) (impulse no more than 1 sec) 800
Dimensions (mm) Length 320
Width 100
Height 100
Weight, kg) 3
Engine volume Up to 3500
Not available

Confident engine start and voltage stabilization of the on-board network

In this case, the DC-DC step-up module connected directly to the starter ensures reliable cranking and starting of the internal combustion engine, and the buffer module connected in parallel to the battery supplies the solenoid relay. Such a supercapacitor combines all the advantages of modules with buffer and serial connection types. Thus, even with worn-out batteries, the highest level of stabilization of all parameters of the electrical on-board network and confident engine start at the lowest temperatures are ensured.

Installing the Titan module with a hybrid connection type will allow:

  • start with discharged batteries that are not able to provide starting current, but have enough energy to charge
    supercapacitors;
  • launch at low temperatures;
  • increase the service life of batteries by 2-4 times;
  • when working in conjunction with a preheater, ensure the start of a warmed-up internal combustion engine, with a discharged heater or a frozen battery;
  • provide additional devices and systems with pulsed energy, improve the reliability of the vehicle's electrical network as a whole.

Hybrid connection type, with buffer module and DC-DC converter

Name MSKA-108/54-16-PB
Rated voltage (V) 16
Rated capacity of the main battery (F) 108
Booster Battery Rated Capacity (F) 54
Internal resistance of the main battery (mΩ) <5,7
Booster battery internal resistance (mΩ) <11,4
Maximum discharge current of the main battery, (A) (pulse no more than 1 sec) 540
Maximum discharge current of the booster battery, (A) (pulse no more than 1 sec) 270
Dimensions (mm) Length 325
Width 100
Height 100
Weight, kg) 4
Not available

Main advantages of supercapacitors

  • High power density An ideal device for working with sudden and significant power changes (several times).
  • High stabilization properties. Fast charge/discharge (seconds).
  • Efficiency in energy recovery and engine starts.
  • Wide operating temperature range from -45 to 70°C.
  • Ability to work in extreme conditions.
  • Service life of at least 10 years, up to 1 million charge-discharge cycles.
  • No need to replace for a long time.
  • Reducing the operating costs of systems.
  • Tightness and environmental friendliness.
  • Low cost of ownership, no operating and disposal costs.
  • Small weight and small dimensions.
  • Wide range of applications, autonomy, mobility.
  • Collaboration with preheaters.
  • Devices are certified according to GOST.

Installation examples of supercapacitors

A supercapacitor (or in other words an ionistor) is a device for storing electrical energy, occupying a middle position between a battery and an electrolyte. True, unlike them, these products are incomparably smaller and look like ordinary electrolytic capacitors (see the figure below).

According to its characteristics, a supercapacitor (SC) differs significantly from ordinary electrolytic products, since it is more durable and has a lower current leakage. The main goal of developing these products is to create a new generation of energy storage devices that can replace conventional batteries.

Characteristic differences

In addition to the advantages already listed above, the supercapacitor is characterized by a higher specific capacity than batteries, which allows it to be used as a power source in electric vehicles, for example. Due to the unique energy properties, the charging time of this electrolytic cell is noticeably reduced (the same can be said about its discharge period).

Additional Information. These properties make it possible to use high-capacity capacitors in modern sources of renewable energy (solar batteries, wind generators, etc.).

During its operation, it is possible to achieve a more economical mode of operation due to the possibility of accumulating excess energy received from energy sources.

Externally, the supercapacitor looks like a conventional element with two electrodes, used instead of a battery.

Like a battery, it also contains an electrolyte in its internal cavities, which, when interacting with the plates, generates electricity.

Design features and manufacturers

The electrodes of this product are made of a special porous material topped with a thin layer of activated carbon. As an electrolytic composition, mixtures of inorganic or organic origin are used. Its main differences from the usual capacitor are as follows:

  • Between the plates in this product is not an ordinary dielectric layer, but twice as thick, which allows you to get a very thin gap. This design provides the ability to accumulate electricity in large volumes (electric capacity in this case increases significantly);
  • Further, the supercapacitor, unlike other samples, accumulates and consumes charge rather quickly;
  • Due to the use of a double dielectric layer, the total area of ​​the electrodes increases, while the dimensions remain the same. At the same time, the technical characteristics of the product are noticeably improved.

The features of these capacitors, which appeared in 1962, should also include the energy structure of their electrodes, one of which has electronic conductivity, and the other - the so-called "ionic". As a result, in the process of their charging, charges opposite in sign are separated, leading to the accumulation of positive and negative potentials on the plates (see photo).

In 1971, the well-known Japanese corporation NEC received a license for the production of these unique products, having successfully mastered almost all electrical engineering areas by that time. It was she who managed to promote and finally approve a unique technology for the production of supercapacitors on the electronic products market. Since the 2000s, it has been successfully mastered in almost all economically developed countries of the world.

Types of superelectrolytes

All known samples of electrolytic products of this class are divided into the following types:

  • Double layer capacitor structures (DSC);
  • Hybrid electrolytic cells;
  • Pseudocapacitors.

Let's consider each of them in a little more detail.

Two-layer structures have in their composition two porous electrodes with a conductive carbon coating, separated by a special composition (electrolyte separator). The process of energy accumulation in these formations is carried out due to the separation of charges opposite in sign, accompanied by the formation of significant amplitude potentials on the electrodes.

The value of the electric charge of such structures is significantly affected by the capacitance of the double storage layer, which performs the function of a kind of surface capacitor. Between themselves, these two storage systems are connected in a series chain by means of an electrolyte that unites them.

Additional Information. In this case, it plays the role of a conductor with an ionic type of conductivity.

Hybrid electrolytes can be classified as transitional structures that occupy an intermediate position between a battery and a capacitor. The choice of such a name for these products is due to the fact that the electrodes in them are made of materials of different types, as a result of which the nature of charge accumulation is somewhat different.

Usually, the function of the cathode in them is performed by a material with a so-called "pseudo capacitance", and the process of charge accumulation occurs due to the occurrence of redox reactions. Such an "architecture" of electrolytes of this group allows you to increase the total capacitance of the capacitor, as well as expand the range of permissible voltages.

These products most often use complex combinations of electrode material, which is a combination of a special type of conductive polymers (or mixed oxides). Research is underway on other promising materials (composites, in particular) obtained by the deposition of metal oxides on carbon bases or polymers.

Pseudocapacitors are much closer in their technical performance to rechargeable batteries that have two solid-state electrodes. Their action is based on a combination of the following two mechanisms:

  • Charge and discharge processes (similar to reactions occurring in conventional batteries);
  • Interactions of an electrostatic nature inherent in structures with a double electric layer.

The prefix "pseudo" means that the capacity of these elements is determined not so much by the nature of electrostatic processes as by dependence on reactions associated with the transfer of electrolytic charges.

Areas of use

Most often, products of this class are used in the following mechanisms, assemblies and equipment samples:

  • In systems with renewable energy sources that need to accumulate accumulated potentials (solar batteries, wind generators, etc.);
  • In modern vehicles (electric cars, for example), as well as in devices for starting engines of hydrogen-powered cars;
  • Due to the high energy density and increased specific capacity, these products are widely used in electronic equipment (as sources of short-term and powerful pulses);
  • They are also in demand in uninterruptible power systems, which take full advantage of their main advantage - to provide instantaneous power transfer.

Note! This should also include developing industries that involve the use of continuous power systems on economical fuel.

In addition, supercapacitors can be used in the following devices:

  • In systems for damping energy loads, as well as in devices for starting electric motors;
  • In complexes, the functioning of which is associated with critical loads (equipment of ports, hospitals, mobile towers, banking centers, etc.);
  • In sources of backup power supply for PC equipment and data acquisition systems (microprocessors and memory), as well as in mobile phones.

Advantages and disadvantages of capacitor products

Among the advantages of products in this class include:

  • Low specific cost (per unit capacity);
  • High capacitive density and efficiency of charge-discharge cycles (up to 95% and higher);
  • Reliability, durability and environmental friendliness;
  • Excellent indicators of specific power;
  • Sufficiently wide range of temperatures at which their operation is possible;
  • The highest charge and discharge rate possible for products in this category;
  • The admissibility of a complete loss of capacity (practically to zero).

Another important advantage of SCs is their relatively small size and weight (in relation to other types of electrolytic products).

Among the "minuses" inherent in them, I would like to note the following shortcomings:

  • Relatively low density of accumulated energies;
  • Low voltage per unit capacitance of the element;
  • High level of uncontrolled self-discharge.

Add to this the not fully developed technology for the production of products.

Application prospects

In the near future, the almost universal use of supercapacitors is expected, which will be introduced into most energy-intensive industries (including the medical industry, aerospace industry and military equipment).

Simultaneously with their introduction, the specific capacity of these products is increasing more and more, which in the future will make it possible to completely replace batteries with capacitors. It also outlines the process of integrating supercapacitors into various structures of modern electronic production, including the manufacture of control and regulatory elements.

In conclusion, we note that capacitor products of this class make it possible to implement environmentally friendly ways to save energy, which are much more promising than all known so far. In the near future, further expansion of the scope of these technologies is expected, which can capture the entire automotive industry, as well as communication devices and mobile equipment.

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