Supercapacitors offer extended temperature range

AVX Corp. has extended the temperature range of its BestCap (Battery Energy Saving Technology Capacitor) series of electrochemical supercapacitors to operate over the range of -40°C to 70°C. In addition, the BestCap product line is said to offer the highest voltages available in the industry for low ESR pulse supercapacitors.

Offering excellent high power pulse characteristics, said AVX, the BestCap electrochemical double layer pulse products are available in BZ05 and BZ06 cases, with an expanded capacitance/voltage range of 500mF/3.3V to 90mF/12V, with sub-100 m? ESR and DCL in the range of 5?A to 40?A. Based on a unique, patented aqueous chemistry, the design offers high capacitance, even with short pulse duration regimes such as in GSM- and PCS-based systems, and the high-voltage ratings address a wide range of power management applications, added the company.

"Used in conjunction with battery packs, BestCap improves the voltage performance for high-current pulses, resulting in higher PA efficiency and longer battery talk time," said Chris Reynolds, AVX product manager, in a statement. BestCap can also be used to boost instantaneous power availability in non-battery electronic applications where low-level constant currents need to be supplemented by high current pulses, he added.

The polymer technology eliminates the need for external balancing resistors, while the low ESR results in a high current handling capability making this a suitable solution for any portable or wireless devices requiring high power availability. The RoHS-compliant BestCap may be used in RF modems, hybrid battery packs, UPS, mainframe computer decoupling, memory back-up and wireless alarm systems.

Pricing for BestCap starts at $3.50 in quantities of 1,000.

- Gina Roos

eeProductCenter