Ultracapacitor Technology

What Is an Ultracapacitor?

An ultracapacitor is an energy-storage device that combines the high-power characteristics of traditional capacitors with a higher-density energy-storage process. These features are enabled by a high surface area of activated carbon electrode materials that store energy electrostatically. When it comes to high-power applications, electrostatic energy-storage technologies enable higher power, longer life, wider operating temperature range, and higher reliability than the traditional electrochemical energy-storage process used in batteries. In fact, ultracapacitors outperform batteries in all major areas except energy density:

Characteristic	Ultracapacitor	Battery
Storage Mechanism	Electrostatic	Electrochemical
Internal Resistance	Low	High
Cycle Life	500k to 1M	300–4,000
Calendar Life	10+ years	3–5 years
Temperature Range	-40°C to +85°C	-10°C to +50°C
Toxic Materials	No	Yes
Energy Density	Medium	High

Ultracapacitor Applications

The applications for ultracapacitors fall broadly into two categories, backup power and pulse power:

Backup Power: In a backup-power application, the ultracapacitor remains charged for most of its life and discharges when system power is lost. Duration for ultracapacitor backup-power applications is typically seconds to several minutes, or longer depending on load requirements. There are many applications that have short-duration backup-power requirements, including:
- Graceful shutdown: Enabling a system to save information and shut down safely;
- Bridge power: Providing power to keep a system running until a secondary long-term backup-power source can be brought online; and
- Last gasp: Allowing a remote system to send a final transmission of critical information in the event of power loss. In all these cases, an ultracapacitor energy-storage system will have a much longer life, occupy a smaller space, weigh less, and have higher reliability than a battery.
Pulse Power: Due to low internal resistance and the absence of electrochemical energy storage, ultracapacitors can deliver and receive much higher power pulses than batteries. In pulse-power applications, ultracapacitors are normally used in combination with other power sources to enable higher performance, facilitate more efficient operation, and even save energy. Applications with infrequent high-power demands often have oversized and inefficient primary energy sources. Primary energy source examples include the grid, batteries, a diesel engine, or a fuel cell. Using ultracapacitors to handle the pulse-power requirements and sizing the primary energy source to handle only the continuous low-power energy needs of these applications results in a more efficient and significantly downsized primary energy source. In some transportation cases, ultracapacitors can recapture and store braking energy, which further improves the application’s energy efficiency.

The Markets section of our website provides many additional examples of ultracapacitor applications across a range of industries.

Ultracapacitor Operating Considerations

Ultracapacitors are at zero voltage when shipped from the factory, so will need to be charged prior to initial use. If connecting individual cells in series, a voltage management circuit should be used for each cell to ensure optimal life. All Tecate standard modules with cells connected in series include appropriate voltage management circuitry. In some applications, customers may decide to use temperature monitoring and/or over-voltage alarm circuits for additional life assurance and safety.

Tecate Product Offerings

At Tecate Group, we offer a variety of standard ultracapacitor cells in addition to standard modules. We also evaluate non-standard cell and module design requirements and provide custom solutions.

Custom ultracapacitor modules: Tecate Group’s engineering team offers custom module design services to meet any application requirements. To make a request, please complete our design questionnaire.
Standard ultracapacitor cells: We offer ultracapacitor cells rated at 2.3V, 2.5V, 2.7V, and 3.0V in a variety of capacitances. The cells come with either radial wire leads, radial snap-in leads, or axial threaded posts.
Custom ultracapacitor cells: Tecate Group’s engineering team can evaluate special performance requirements or physical size requests to develop a cell solution that our standard cells are not able to meet.
Standard ultracapacitor modules: A module contains multiple ultracapacitor cells connected in series and/or parallel to meet application voltage and energy requirements. The modules include voltage-management electronics to ensure safe and reliable operation. Standard, off-the-shelf modules are available immediately or with a short lead time.

Custom Ultracapacitor Solutions

Tecate Group excels in developing custom ultracapacitor solutions tailored to meet even the most demanding application needs. With a focus on in-house design expertise, Tecate efficiently creates proof-of-concept prototypes to validate custom designs promptly.
Emphasizing open communication and collaboration, Tecate ensures that custom solutions align with stringent quality standards and technical requirements. Our broad industry expertise allows us to cater to diverse sectors such as automotive, industrial, and renewable energy. Our commitment to innovation, quality, and client satisfaction makes us a trusted partner for organizations seeking customized energy storage solutions.