Super-capacitors take market share from lithium battery

Oct 16, 2012

 

Super-capacitors can take market share from lithium batteries, says IDTechEx

The consumer electronics industry has changed drastically in the past few years. Portable devices are increasingly becoming multifunctional, and not only phones which currently work for many purposes (e.g. making calls, sending SMS, internet navigation, email, video playing) but cameras and other devices as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For example, we can now see smart watches that play music and can help you manage your smartphone, or android powered cameras with applications and Wi-Fi internet connectivity. At the same time, smartphones are taking over more functions; such as the one that becomes a semi-professional camera when adding interchangeable lenses.

This trend in power demand terms is translated into frequent peak power demands from lithium and other types of batteries. The same applies for wireless sensors, which require power pulses for performing their functions. In Figure 1 below we show the power demand profile for different operation modes of three different smartphones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. Different power profiles for different smartphone uses

 

 

 

The energy storage space for smart and portable electronic devices

The energy storage space is composed of primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) batteries. Here, we define "smart and portable" as those devices that will take a key role in the future of data and communications, and are small enough to be carried by one person or installed in a small device.

Lithium batteries have become the dominant technology in the secondary battery space for small devices such as laptops, mobile phones, tablet PCs and cameras. This is because of their superior energy density characteristics. The consumer electronics industry has pushed their production to billions and consequently, through economies of scale, has optimized its supply chain and reduced their price. At the same time, secondary batteries are increasingly substituting primary batteries in many applications.

 

 

Supercapacitors fit well into the emerging energy storage landscape

As in any other battery, energy and power will play against each other; increasing one will lead to the loss of the other. Accordingly, the capacity of lithium batteries (energy content) is reduced if we extract the energy quickly. This means that if we require high power from the battery we will extract less total energy than if we would require low power

 

The multifunctionality trend in smart portable devices requires different power profiles depending on the function and some of these high power demands are required more often. These variable power demands mean less available total energy extracted from the battery (and accordingly your battery running out quicker). In the consumer electronic industry this was not a problem in the past, since the mobile phone power demand profile was more or less constant and low. This was the case because originally mobile phones were only used to perform just one function (i.e. make calls).

Consequently, lithium battery technology capabilities are being challenged by the modern multifunctional portable devices, which are increasingly requiring higher performance in terms of power density. Whilst current research and development pathways aim for the emergence of a new generation of high energy density technologies, alternative energy storage technologies are challenging the dominance of lithium batteries.

 

 

This is the case with supercapacitors, which are an emerging energy storage technology, whose characteristics make them strong candidates for satisfying those specific functions where lithium batteries underperform.

Interestingly, supercapacitors can deliver a considerable amount of energy at high power. This makes them suitable for supplying high power in multifunctional devices where current batteries can’t provide it without reducing their total energy capacity

On the other hand, since the origins of mobile communications there has been an effort to reduce the dimensions of the equipment. Accordingly, all electronic components need to reduce their form factor but must still be able to support functionalities that mobile phones never had before. This includes energy storage solutions. 
 

 

The developments of electronics and material science are allowing for new developments in the energy storage field. Now we can build, or better said, print, thin film batteries on different surfaces allowing for new energy storage solutions.

 

Smart and portable electronic devices is one of the highest growth industries in the world. These devices will be the base of the future data and communication networks. More than one billion mobile phones are shipped each year, smartphones are growing their market share and Tablet PCs will challenge the role of Laptop PCs. The energy storage solutions that power these devices will be key in the development of this strategic industry.

 

Source: EETimes Europe