High-Power Supercapacitors: Triple Cells Boost Voltage to 9V

Knowles has recently unveiled two new series of triple cell PCB-mount supercapacitor modules, which are based on Cornell Dubilier's DGH and DSF series, now under Knowles' ownership.

The DGH series is capable of operating up to 8.1V within a temperature range of -40 to +65°C. The modules come in various sizes, ranging from 25 x 8.5 x 16mm for the 330mF version to 39 x 13 x 33mm for the 5F version. If the maximum voltage is reduced to 6.9V, these supercapacitors can also function at temperatures up to 85°C. Knowles estimates the operating life of these modules to be around 1,500 hours at the rated temperature and voltage.

On the other hand, the DSF series, despite being the same size as the DGH series for equivalent capacitance values, can operate at voltages up to 9V at 65°C, which decreases to 7.5V at 85°C. However, this increased voltage performance comes at a cost, with the estimated operating life of the DSF series reduced to 1,000 hours.

"These supercapacitors are designed to withstand over 500,000 charge-discharge cycles," a company representative stated. "One of the key advantages of these supercapacitors is their internal cell balancing feature, allowing multiple devices to be combined for higher capacitance or voltage."

For instance, the DGH105Q8R1, rated at 8.1V and 1μF, can handle a current of 2.76A for 1 second, sustain 260mA continuously, and peak at 17.2A. The equivalent series resistance (ESR) at 1kHz is 245mΩ, while at DC it measures 470mΩ at 20°C. The total energy stored in this module is 9.1mWhr, with a leakage current of approximately 250μA. The energy densities are reported as 2.17Wh/kg, 2.02Wh/litre, and 2.17kW/kg.

Potential applications for these supercapacitor modules include solar and wind energy harvesting, mechanical actuators, utility meters, IoT devices, and enhancing pulse current in battery packs. For more detailed specifications, the datasheets for the 9V DSF and 8.1V DGH modules can be found here.