How to choose the energy storage capacitor value

What are energy storage capacitors?

Energy storage capacitors are electronic components that can store electrical energy. They are typically found in remote or battery powered applications and can be used to deliver peak power, reducing depth of discharge on batteries, or provide hold-up energy for memory read/write during an unexpected shut-off.

What are energy storage capacitor specifications?

Capacitor specifications of capacitance, DC leakage current (DCL), equivalent series resistance (ESR), size, etc. are typically room temperature measurements under a very specific test condition. Furthermore, energy storage capacitors will often be set up in some parallel/series combination that can pose unique challenges or unexpected behaviour.

What is an energy storage capacitor test?

An energy storage capacitor test was set up to showcase the performance of ceramic, Tantalum, TaPoly, and supercapacitor banks. The test involved charging the capacitor banks to 5V and keeping the sizes modest. The capacitor banks were then tested for charge retention and discharge duration under a pulsed load, which mimics a high power remote IoT system.

How to choose a capacitor?

Capacitors with appropriate temperature coefficients should be selected based on the actual requirements of the circuit. For example, if the working temperature of the circuit varies greatly, capacitors with smaller temperature coefficients should be chosen to maintain circuit performance stability.

How do capacitors help prevent data loss?

Capacitors can maintain power when a power supply is disconnected so no data is lost in electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones. Some of their most common uses are listed below: Energy storage – capacitors are a great tool for storing energy.

What is the difference between a battery and a capacitor?

Capacitors and batteries are different types of energy storage technologies. Capacitors charge and discharge very quickly compared to battery technology and are optimal for energy harvesting/scavenging applications. Depending on power requirements, capacitors can even replace batteries altogether.