Application note: balancing of supercapacitors

Electronics manufacturer Würth Elektronik has provided a new help guide for developers, designed to address the relative unfamiliarity of using supercapacitors. The publication includes experience gained from support and extends the resources Würth Elektronik has previously provided in the form of application notes, explanatory videos and webinars.

Whether preventing data loss in the event of a power failure, for critical network devices or in medical technology, supercapacitors are durable components for short-term power supply. Although supercapacitors essentially differ from other capacitors only in their higher energy density, they unlock completely different applications. Würth Elektronik’s product management team has thus made it its business to assist developers, with concepts, selection criteria and calculation bases.

Application note ANP090, ‘Keep the Balance – Balancing of Supercapacitors’, addresses the issue that supercapacitors normally operate at voltages of around 2.7 V. To achieve higher operating voltages, a cascade of supercapacitor cells connected in series is required. Fluctuations in capacitance and insulation resistance due to manufacturing or ageing make voltage equalisation (balancing) necessary.

The application note by René Kalbitz and Frank Puhane, both from Würth Elektronik’s capacitors division, covers the theoretical background, measurements and practical examples while offering various balancing concepts. Additionally, Würth Elektronik offers the ABC of Capacitors, a technical book that provides an introduction to capacitor technology.

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