Lithium Ion Capacitors: An Effective EDLC Replacement

Background

An accepted energy solution, conventional Electrical Double Layer Capacitors (EDLC) have many notable drawbacks relating to self-discharge characteristics, energy density, reliability, longevity and thermal design. Taiyo Yuden Lithium Ion Capacitors overcome these issues and are an effective replacement for EDLCs. Lithium Ion Capacitors are hybrid capacitors, featuring the best characteristics of both EDLC and Lithium Ion Secondary Batteries (LIB).

EDLCs were first created in Japan in the 1970s and began appearing in various home appliances in the 1990s. Since the 2000s, they have been used in mobile phones and digital cameras. EDLCs are typically used to protect against sudden momentary drops or interruptions in power. They can instantaneously output large amounts of power, while a battery cannot. They are frequently used as backup power sources in servers and storage devices for integrated circuits, processors, memory and more.

While EDLCs are intended to be backup power sources, conventional EDLCs suffer from a phenomenon known as self-discharge, where the capacitor will gradually lose its charge over time. Self-discharge can occur more rapidly during exposure to high temperature environments.

The extremely low self-discharge of a Lithium Ion Capacitor, even in high-heat environments, ensures a long-lasting charge.

Furthermore, Lithium Ion Capacitors have no risk of thermal runaway. No additional thermal design considerations, space or components are necessary when designing with a Lithium Ion Capacitor.

The use of Lithium Ion Capacitors is steadily growing. They are increasingly relied on as supplementary power sources in manufacturing and medical equipment, where even momentary drops in voltage can be critical. They serve to compensate for uneven voltage levels with solar panels and even as primary power sources in small devices. Most significantly, Lithium Ion Capacitors are becoming a preferred backup solution for power interruption in servers and other devices.

Note: 

Taiyo Yuden - Now in its 64th year, Tokyo-based TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD. is a worldwide manufacturer of surface-mount and leaded passive components, Bluetooth modules, CCFT inverters and recordable digital media. With approximately 50% of the worldwide market in high-frequency multilayer chip inductors used in cell phones, the company reports annual sales of nearly US$2.06B. Worldwide, TAIYO YUDEN employs more than twenty thousand people. The company's North American affiliate, TAIYO YUDEN (U.S.A.), INC., operates sales and engineering offices in Chicago, IL, Raleigh, NC, Irving, TX, and in California at San Jose and San Diego.

See the complete article by By Atsuya Sato; Contributed By Digi-Key Electronics

Source Link: http://www.digikey.com/en/articles/techzone/2015/jan/lithium-ion-capacitors-an-effective-edlc-replacement