CAP-XX
Limited, a leader in ultra-thin supercapacitors which boost
power delivery in mobile devices to enable new functionality and extend
battery life, today expanded its product line with the High Temperature
HS and HW series supercapacitors.
The HS and HW supercapacitors feature a higher-boiling-point
electrolyte that extends operating and storage temperature from
75°C to an industry-leading 85°C, and operating voltage
(V) from 4.5V to 5.5V. These supercapacitors work reliably in devices
where nearby components can get very hot, such as RF Power Amplifiers,
which can reach 120°C during transmission, as well as in
devices which are exposed to environmental high temperatures, such as a
mobile phone left on the dashboard of a car in direct sunlight, or in
the engine compartment in an automotive application.
The new supercapacitors offer long-life performance at up to
2.75V in single-cell versions, and 5.5V in dual-cell versions with the
two cells connected in series. All devices operate from -40 to
+85°C.
“These ruggedized supercapacitors support the most
environmentally-demanding, power-hungry mobile phone
applications,” said Anthony Kongats, CEO of CAP-XX.
“The higher voltage enables high-power LED flash for better
pictures, and can double audio power for richer-sounding music. The new
high-temperature threshold assures reliability, even in a phone left in
a car on a hot day.”
According to Stuart Robinson, director of handset component
technologies for Strategy Analytics, “Consumers want their
cellphones to be as good as their digital still cameras and produce
clear pictures even in low light. We estimate that over the next three
years high-powered LED flash in cellphones will grow at an annual
average rate of 155%, and will be in over 70% of all camera phones by
2010. CAP-XX supercapacitors are a technology enabler for this market.
We have seen them power multiple high-current LEDs to full light
intensity, producing clear pictures in low light from up to 3 meters
away. I expect their new higher-voltage models will make the results
even better.”
Supercapacitors deliver 100x the power of batteries and store
10,000x more energy than conventional capacitors. They store electrical
energy during periods of low-load power, and then release it in quick
“bursts” during peak-power events, supplementing
power from the source and smoothing out voltage fluctuations.
CAP-XX supercapacitors benefit from a unique nanotechnology
construction which packs the highest energy and power densities into
thin, lightweight, prismatic packages that will fit into slim portable
devices. They store charge on nanoporous carbon electrodes on aluminum
foil, arranged in multiple layers and connected in parallel to minimize
the resistance and maximize the capacitance of the device.
The new HW series features a very small 28.5 x 17mm footprint
and combines high capacitance (C up to 0.4 Farad at 5.5V) with low
equivalent-series-resistance (ESR as low as 100 milliohm at 5.5V) in a
thin (0.9 to 2.90mm) package. The HS series features a small 39 x 17mm
footprint and combines high C (up to 0.7 Farad) with very low ESR (as
low as 55 milliohm at 5.5V) in the same thin (0.9 to 2.90mm) package.
The low-profile prismatic packages may be soldered or ultrasonic welded
to pads on a PCB.
Pulse current for a single pulse is 20A, RMS current is 4A.
The new supercapacitors have power densities as high as 71.5KW/litre
and energy densities up to 5.5KJ/litre (or 1.5Wh/litre).
Applications of Supercapacitors:
CAP-XX’s High Temperature supercapacitors are
suitable for many of the applications in which the company’s
General Purpose (G Series) supercapacitors have been adopted, but which
demand an increased environmental operating range and/or a higher
voltage rating.
Typical applications have periodic pulsed loads which draw
greater power than the voltage source (usually a battery or a
current-limited power supply) can comfortably deliver:
- High-Power LED Flash for camera phones, PDAs and digital
cameras
- High-Power Audio Amplifiers for mobile audio in cell phones
and portable multimedia players
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE Modems in PCMCIA and CF cards, PCI
Expresscards, and USB-attached devices
- Wireless Modems in devices powered by fuel cells, solar
cells, wind, water, vibration, and other low-current energy-harvesting
technologies
- Autofocus, Zoom lens and Motor drives in digital cameras
- Pulsed loads at low temperatures where batteries have
difficulty delivering the required current
- Pulsed loads in devices powered by low-power, long-life
batteries such as Lithium Thionyl Chloride. Examples include Automatic
Meter Reading modules, Toll Tags/RFID Tags, Location Tracking Devices,
Security Systems, M2M Wireless Sensor Networks, etc.
CAP-XX supercapacitors are found in devices such as the rugged
handhelds, PDAs and Point-of-Sale systems from Banksys, Handheld
Products, Intermec, Datalogic and Symbol Technologies, and in wireless
modems produced by Sierra Wireless, Option, IP Wireless and Thetalogix.