Date of Award
7-16-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Santa Clara: Santa Clara University, 2014.
Department
Electrical Engineering
First Advisor
Timothy Healy
Abstract
The purpose of this senior design project is to create a charge management and output converting power module incorporating an array of supercapacitors as the energy storage medium. Conventional energy storage components, such as lithium-ion batteries, use electrochemical reactions to store and release electrons into a system. These batteries are slow to charge, highly toxic to the environment and delicate compared too many of the systems they are used in. Supercapacitors are noticeably more rugged and last hundreds to thousands of times longer than the average chemical reaction-based batteries we are used to using while capable of charging in less than half the time. Creating a power module that properly handles the use of supercapacitors is the main focus of this project. The power circuitry included in this design compensates for the design complications inherent to using supercapacitors, allowing future designers to more easily integrate supercapacitors as an energy storage solution into their designs. The power module is capable of charging three supercapacitors in series to 8.1 volts in one hour.
Recommended Citation
Brooks, Michael; Fu, Anderson; and Kehoe, Brett, "Supercapacitor power management module" (2014). Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses. 7.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/elec_senior/7