SpaceCap supercapacitor series solves power problems

Supercapacitor technology is suitable for covering high power pulse loads to reduce strain on payload batteries and lower the amount of electrolytic and tantalum capacitors required.

Compared to tantalum or electrolytic capacitors, supercapacitors have high energy content, but depending on which  application they are used for can fall short on power. One COTs component, the experimental supercapacitor called SpaceCap, offers high power density combined with high energy density and a comparatively small capacitance.

A new activity with GSTP Element 1 and Skeleton Technologies OÜ in Estonia performed preliminary verification of the SpaceCap component and developed a first iteration of an engineering demonstrator model of a Module consisting of 8 SpaceCap cells connected in series. In demonstrating this the performance of the SpaceCap component was improved through four subsequent production runs, building a total of over 200 components.

One weakness of the

SpaceCap component in its current iteration is performance variability, an unavoidable consequence of the hand-made processes involved. In the next phase it aims to move towards fully industrial scale processes.

The tests successfully showed a reduction in both voltage and battery current. At the absolute maximum power levels, over 80 kilowatts per litre, the SpaceCap COTs component shows very high power performance and can support loads at frequencies of up to 200 Hz.

G617-223QT closed in 2021.