Specifications for supercapacitors in shortwave communication base stations

Are supercapacitors suitable for pulse power applications?

Supercapacitors are ideally suited for pulse power applications, due to the fact the energy storage is not a chemical reaction, the charge/discharge behavior of the supercapacitor is efficient. Supercapacitors are utilized as temporary energy sources in many applications where immediate power availability may be interrupted.

Are supercapacitors a good choice for mission-critical back-up power applications?

Due to their high power density and long life, supercapacitors are ideal for mission-critical back-up power applications. These applications are defined by two major requirements — the ability to rapidly switch to back-up power after a power loss has occurred and the ability to maintain a power supply until longer-term back-up is engaged.

How much current can a supercapacitor handle?

In GSM/GPRS applications, up to 2 A of current must flow from a powersource to the transceiver within a 0.6 millisecond transmit window, and higher power and longer for LTE. Supercapacitors can effectively handle the pulses while being recharged from a battery or other power source.

What are the parameters of a supercapacitor?

Supercapacitor parameters that need to be analyzed are the Capacitance, Rated Voltage, Maximum charge/discharge current, Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), and Rated operating temperature. For simplicity, consider the load has been characterized as a constant 20 Watts.