the forever rechargeable variable super capacitor battery !!!
TRANSCRIPT
Hi there!
Welcome to my ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE, FOREVER RECHARGEABLE
SUPER CAPACITOR BATTERY PACK INSTRUCTABLE!!!
What's all the Hubbub, bub?
This circuit acts as a never-dying, forever rechargeable battery. If treated properly
and with respect, it will live longer than you do! That's right! You will die before this
variable battery does! Eerie, eh? The circuit employs about $90 worth of circuitry,
but it sure beats buying batteries. I use this circuit every single day when I get
home from work to listen to music. Depending on your input charging method (DC,
solar, etc), charging can take only minutes. With this, I can listen to music out of
my computer speakers at high volume for about two hours before having to re-
charge. Use it to charge your cell phone. Use it to power your radio! Use it as a
portable power supply! Wire it up to a flash light, or use it to power your halloween
costume! The possiblities are endless! I am selling this in kit form! See the last
page of this instructable for details.
YOU VARY THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE!
Need 3v? You got it!
Need 9v? You got it!!
Need 12V? You got it!!!
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FLM/E88Q/GJQEJNV4/FLME88QGJQEJNV4.LARGE.jpg)
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Hi there! My name is Patrick, and I aman electronics engineering technician whoworks full time as a lab tech, and part timeas an electronics engineer/salesman. Iown an ebay store, and two website...readmore » (/member/EngineeringShock/)
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Need 34V??? You got it!!!!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The circuit uses SUPER CAPACITORS, as opposed to batteries. Super capacitors
are like other capacitors, only they have enormous power storage capabilities.
Capacitors have two storage variables: Maximum charging voltage and capacitance
(Measured in Farads). Capacitance is a measure of how much energy can be
stored in a capacitor. A typical power supply capacitor or audio coupling capacitor
would have a capacitance of around 0.0001 farads, which is relatively large. A
super capacitor normally has a capacitance of between 1 to 3000 farads, which
make them good substitutes for batteries! We are going to safely charge 2x 400
farad capacitors in series up to 5.4VDC, and feed that voltage through a DC-DC
booster circuit. We are also going to employ a digital voltage display that will be
able to read both the charge on the capacitor bank, as well as the voltage at the
output of the DC-DC booster. Let's go over SOME of the pros and cons of super
capacitors, shall we?
PROS OF THE SUPER CAP:
1) As long as you don't charge them at a voltage higher than they are rated for, or
reverse charge polarity, super capacitors can have charge/discharge cycles of
500,000-1,000,000, or more!
2) If you charge a battery and leave it in the charger, you can deplete battery
memory, and it will eventually die. The super capacitor will STOP accepting any
energy once it is full.
3) The internal ESR (Internal resistance) is extremely small in a super capacitor.
We're talking 0.01 Ohms or less. A typical battery has an internal ESR or 0.02
Ohms - 0.2 Ohms. Why does this matter? If means that you can potentially
charge a super capacitor in seconds, providing you have some heavy duty power
supplies. Batteries take longer to charge, and cannot discharge as quickly.
4) Batteries have a shelf life. If left fully charged on a shelf for years, you will pick
it up one day and find it dead. Not so with the super cap!
5) Super capacitors give off no emissions, while all batteries give off some form of
gas. You can't keep your car battery in your house, but you can keep your super
capacitor bank in your house =)
6) If you cause a direct short along your super capacitors, they will not blow up or
be harmed. They are made to do just that. However, immense heat will be created
along the short, as enormous amounts of current will be very quickly dissipated.
This is also a con, because the user can be burned if not careful.
7) They are environmentally safe.
8) There are so many pros and so few cons, but we don't have time to go over them
all =)
Related
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CONS OF THE SUPER CAP:
1) If you made a super capacitor big enough to replace your car battery, it would
likely be 10 times the size. Super capacitors have lots of energy storage, but need
to be banked in series/parallel to achieve battery-like storage.
2) super capacitors normally have very low max voltage ratings, which means that
you have to be very careful not to over charge them. As well, what are you going
to do with a 2.5v capacitor? You have to place a bunch in series to keep doubling
the voltage. However, when you add capacitors in series, you lose capacitance.
The formula for series and parallel banking will be in the final step, so if you have
time, have a look =)
3) While you need not worry about shocking yourself, as super capacitors offer so
little voltage, you can burn yourself if you create a direct short on a fully charged
super capacitor or bank of capacitors.
4) Super capacitors are more expensive than batteries.
THIS INSTRUCTABLE WILL BE BROKEN DOWN INTO 4 PARTS:
1) The Charging Circuit
2) The Capacitor Bank and the DC-DC Booster
3) The Digital Voltage Display
4) The Parts, the Math and the Conclusions!
If you are interested, most of these parts can be found in my ebay store, which
can be found here: http://www.electroniclessons.com/
(http://www.electroniclessons.com/)
Check Out My Improved 1.5A 18 Watt Charger!
Step 1: THE CHARGING CIRCUIT
THE CHARGING CIRCUIT:
Let's go through this in steps. It is actually very simple but you have to follow along
closely, especially as we go into the step on the following page.
We start at TERMINAL BLOCK#1 and will continue clockwise around the
circuit!
1) This is where you have options. We need a DC source of anywhere between
5VDC-20VDC for our charge. I use a 11VDC@1A power supply, but I
occasionally use a set of mini solar panels that I have in my window. The choice is
yours. Just make sure that when you plug in your DC source, you are making
sure that you have the correct DC polarity for DC+ and ground (DC-).
2) We have a 0.1uf capacitor and a 100uf capacitor in parallel with the input DC
line. We only really need these because this line is for the charging of the
capacitor bank, but we will be using this input line to power our digital display and
we want to make sure that this DC line is smooth and without extra noise. The 0.1uf
capacitor takes care of high frequency noise, or rather, lessens it (Decoupling
capacitor). The 100uf capacitor acts to smooth the input DC. These two
capacitors are not really necessary but they are preferred.
3) The LM317 is a variable DC-DC power supply. Using a 240 Ohm resistor in
parallel with the VOUT and the ADJ line, and a 5k ohm variable resistor from the
ADJ line and ground, we can vary the charge voltage from the charge voltage itself,
down to 1.25v. For instance, if we have 8v at the input, we can vary the output
anywhere between 8v down to 1.25v. It is EXTREMELY important that your LM317
is properly heat sinked, as it will get HOT. The LM317 kit can be found here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DIY-LM317-Variable-DC-power-supply-kit-PCB-Parts-
/180609634986?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0d2c52aa
(http://cgi.ebay.com/DIY-LM317-Variable-DC-power-supply-kit-PCB-Parts-
/180609634986?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0d2c52aa)
4) Varying the current to the super capacitor bank is the name of the game. This
is where you have the opportunity to gamble. Since the super capacitors will
literally suck up all the energy it is given until full (With >0.01 Ohm ESR), we have
to limit the current from the supply, or else we're going to completely destroy our
LM317 circuit. As you can see, we have two 2.2 Ohm, 5W power resistors, a
jumper, and a SPST (Single Pull Single Throw) switch. If the switch is off
(Recommended), and the jumper is not attached, then the charge limitation is 2.2
Ohms. Wait a minute! That is too small of a current limiter! You're still going to
hurt your LM317!!! Not the case! If properly heat sinked, the LM317 will get hot
but it will withstand the stress if you have this 2 Ohm load. The output voltage will
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FP6/2A1X/GJQEDDDO/FP62A1XGJQEDDDO.LARGE.jpg)
drop down but you will see it come back up as the capacitor starts to charge. We
have three charge options here. If you have a charge of 4v or higher, make sure
that you have the jumper off, and the switch off.
A) Charge limited by 2.2 Ohms when JUMPER=OFF/ SPST=OFF
B) Charge limited by roughly 1.1 Ohms when JUMPER=ON/SPST=OFF
When you add the jumper, you place the two 2.2 Ohm resistors in parallel with one
another, bringing the parallel resistance down to half. Please note that these
resistors get hot.
C) Charge limited by the line resistance and capacitor ESR only
when JUMPER=ON or OFF/SPST=ON
If the SPST is switched on, it doesn't matter how the resistor jumper is configured.
The only resistance between the output of the LM317 and the capacitor banks is
the line (trace) resistance, and the ESR of the capacitors (Yet to be seen). This is
where you have to have cohones! Again, your LM317 can handle this if properly
heat sinked (Heat sink included in kit), as the output voltage will drop down to the
cap voltage and start to charge. However, this should only be used for charges of
1.5v or less. If you are charging the bank from 0v to 5.4 v, it will charge relatively
quickly using the 2.2 Ohm charge option. However, around 3v of charge, it will
start to slow down. At this point, take the jumper off to limit the current to 1.1
Ohm. At around 4.5v, you will notice that the charge will slow down again. Flick
the switch to charge the remaining 900mv, and you will have no problems. Truth be
told, I've charged from 2v to 5.4v with the switch on, but it is NOT good practice,
and I was risking my LM317.
5) We have two IN4001 diodes in series with the charge line. These are not used
for any type of rectification, but rather to allow DC charge to enter the capacitor
bank, but not allow for any DC to travel backwards through the circuit after the
capacitor bank is charged. If we didn't have these diodes here, follow the circuit
backwards. Regardless of whether the jumper is on or off, or whether the SPST is
on or off, there is a path back to the LM317, and there is a 240 Ohm resistor in a
series path with a 5k potentiometer and ground. If we stopped charging (without
the diodes), the charge on the caps would leak back through the circuit to ground,
making our batteries terribly inefficient. There are two diodes in parallel to share
the current along the line. If you have 1N4007s, or any 1N400X diodes, they will
work just as well if not better. There are factors such as thermal runaway that we
could spend time worrying about with these diodes in parallel, but the charge time
from start to finish for this circuit is literally 10 minutes or less , so we're not going
to worry about that at all.
6) The jumper (JUMPER#2) like a lot of this circuit is a custom option. If you are
not going to watch the digital display (Seen later) as your super capacitor bank
charges, then you are going to want to follow this step. When you build this charge
circuit, probe the output of the diodes (TEST POINT) with reference to ground
using your multimeter. There will be a voltage drop along the diodes, so we need to
make sure that we measure here, and not at the anode end of the diode. Since we
have a 5.4v MAX capacitor bank, we DO NOT want to have a charge higher than
5.4v. Check the voltage here using the 5k potentiometer at the LM317. Turn the
potentiometer until you see a voltage of 5.2v-5.4v, then consider using a bit of hot
glue to set the pot to steady it. You may think, why use the pot, and not a fixed
resistor? You can, by all means, but you may want to change the charge voltage
down the road. Now, the jumper is here because on the other side of the jumper
lies the capacitor bank. If you test the voltage here when you have the jumper on,
you will read the voltage at the capacitor bank, not the voltage that it will be
charging to. You only take the jumper off when you want to take a charged
reading. Leave it on at all other times.
Step 2: The Capacitor Bank, and DPST Switch, and theBooster Circuit
THE CAPACITOR BANK:
As you can see, we have the capacitor bank circuit here on the left hand side of
the below schematic. It is comprised of 2x 400 farad 2.7v super capacitors, found
here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180566348151
(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180566348151)
When connected in series, these capacitors will form a bank value of 200 farads at
5.4v. This means that we have doubled our maximum charge voltage (2.7v *2 =
5.4v), and halved our capacitance from 400 farads down to 200 farads. If you
want to learn more about series/parallel capacitor theory, go to the final page of this
instructable. We need approximately 3.4v to power our DC-DC booster circuit.
This means that our booster circuit will work between the charged range of 3.4v to
5.4v, which means we can afford 2v loss before the booster circuit cannot boost
anymore. There is an arrow coming from the positive side of the capacitor bank
that indicates that this is the charge reference. This is just an indicator and is not
connected anywhere.
THE DPDT SWITCH:
Just to the right of the capacitor bank, you will see what looks like a piece of lego
with 6 little holes in it. This is my own little schematic symbol for a Double Pull
Double Throw switch. As you can see, there are little arrows coming from the
upper and lower middle circuits. These are the wipers (or PULLS). When in the
off position, the wiper on the top is connected to the upper left pin (as seen in the
picture), As well, when in the off position, the bottom wiper is connected to the
lower left pin (as seen in the picture). When you press the DPDT switch on, the
wipers connect to the pins on the right hand side. These switches are independant
of one another, but are located in the same package, and are switched on and off
at the same time. These only cost a buckand can be purchased with anything from
my store.
The top switch (Top left, middle and right pins) act to connect power to the DC-DC
booster board. The bottom switch (Bottom left, midle, and right pins) act to supply
the digital voltage reader with either the charge voltage of the capacitor bank (when
switched off), or the DC booster output voltage (when switched on). The digital
voltage reader will be talked about more on the next page. This switch business
may sound tricky, but follow along with the schematic, and you'll be in good shape
=)
THE DC-DC BOOSTER:
This is where things start to get easy! As stated earlier, this DC-DC booster circuit
will boost any voltage at the input between 3.4v MIN to 34v MAX to any voltage
between 3.4v and 34v. The output can be adjusted by using an on-board variable
(http://cdn.instructables.com/F4H/T4ST/GJQE96WA/F4HT4STGJQE96WA.LARGE.jpg)
resistor. All you need is to turn the pot!
Examples:
VIN = 3.4v VOUT = Any voltage between 3.4v and 34v
VIN = 28v VOUT = Any voltage between 3.4v and 34v
VIN = 8v VOUT = Any voltage between 3.4v and 34v
VIN=3v VOUT = 3v (Input voltage is to small to boost)
These booster boards are available in my
store: http://stores.ebay.com/hobbytronixstore
(http://stores.ebay.com/hobbytronixstore) There is a three-pin screw-type
terminal block for safe connection, and a variable resistor that allows for you to
change the output voltage for your desired application. The three pints are labeled
VOUT/GND/VIN. So, VOUT is your varied output, GND is common ground, and VIN
is your input voltage pin; requiring at least 3.4VDC. It is VERY easy to use.
DIMENSIONS: 32x34x20mm. It can supply up to 3A of current, but that is not
suggested for continuous draw. It is highly suggested that you keep continuous
draw under 2A. This bad boy is rated for 15W and has an efficiency of 90%. As
you can see, when the switch is flipped on, power is connected to the VIN terminal
of the DC-DC booster board. The second terminal of the board is connected to the
ground line, and the third is connected to our output terminal block. There is an
arrow coming from the output line that is labeled "BOOST REF". This is just for
reference and is not actually connected elsewhere in the circuitry.
The terminal block (TERMINAL BLOCK#2) output can be used as our battery
terminals. The DC value at this terminal block is adjusted using the on-board
variable resistor on the DC-DC booster.
Step 3: The Digital Display
THE DIGITAL DISPLAY:
This is one of my favorite characteristics of this circuit. The 0-20v digital digital
display is easy to use, and will act to show us both the capacitor charge voltage
and the DC-DC booster output voltage. This circuit requires roughly 8-14VDC to
operate. Both of the bottom pins are connected to the ground line. The upper left
pin is the DIGITAL DIISPLAY REFERENCE. The voltage at this pin will be
(http://cdn.instructables.com/F1G/NUKA/GJQEDDDQ/F1GNUKAGJQEDDDQ.LARGE.jpg)
displayed digitally on the display. The digital display will display any voltage
between 0-20VDC. When the DPDT switch is not connecting the capactor bank
voltage to the booster circuit, the digital display will be displaying the charge on the
capacitor bank. When the DPDT is switched on, the output of the booster will be
displayed. Since the display has a 20v maximum limitation, it is suggested that if
you are going to implement it, that you keep the booster output limited to 20VDC or
under.
The voltage at the upper right pin is the line that powers the entire display. This can
be hooked directly to the input DC voltage line. It will work anywhere from 6.5v to
15, but it is preferred that you use 8-14v. The 0.1uf and 100uf capacitors
that are placed at the DC input are implemented for the sake of protecting
this digital display. When you stop, disengage the DC input charge, this display
will shut off.
OPTION:
If you want, you can add a monotary push switch between the DC-DC booster and
the power line of the digital display. This will enable you to have a look at the output
of the DC-DC booster when you push down and hold the monetary switch by
adding secondary power supply for the display. However, if you choose to go this
route, it is necessary to add a diode into the mix. If you want to go this route, as I
did in the circuit viewed in the video, let me know and I'll include another schematic.
Step 4: The Parts, the Theory, and the Conclusions
THE PARTS:
I can offer a kit that includes the bulk of the parts in the schematic for $90 + $12
shipping. The LM317 kit, the 400f super capracitors, the digital display, and the
DC-DC booster board cost more than $90 in total. If you are looking for parts
singularly, they can be found here:
http://www.electroniclessons.com/ (http://www.electroniclessons.com/)
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FWC/8ZQB/GJQEDDDT/FWC8ZQBGJQEDDDT.LARGE.jpg)
I'll include the following for $90 +$12 for shipping with tracking:
2x 400f 2.7v super capacitors
1x LM317 DIY kit
1x 0-20v Digital display
1x 3.4v-34v DC-DC Booster board
1x DC plug (input and port set)
2x 2.2 Ohm power resistors
2x 1N4001 diodes
1x DPDT switch
1x 0.1uf capacitor
1x 100uf capacitor
****
The Jumpers, terminal blocks, PCB, Input DC source, and SPST switch will
not be included. Send me a message if you are interested. You can also
reach me through http://www.engineeringshock.com
(http://www.engineeringshock.com) and through ebay.
THE THEORY:
Most of the basic circuit theory was covered in the instructable. However, I'll go a
bit further in depth regarding super capacitors. When you place a super capacitor
in series with another super capacitor, you can up the voltage; doubling it, if the
two capacitor voltage values are the same, but you lose capacitance. The formula
for lost capacitance is the same as the parallel resistor formula: 1 [ (1/ C1) + (1
/ C2)] Let's use it in the example of this instructable, where C1 = 400f, and C2 =
400f
Example:
CTotal = 1/[1/ C1) + (1 / C2)]
CTotal = 1/[400) + (1/400)]
CTotal = 1/0.005
CTotal = 200 f
Example#2 (C1 = 3000f @ 2.5v / C2 = 10f @ 2.7fv)
First, add the two voltages. (2.5 + 2.7 = 5.2v) This is your max charging
voltage.
CTotal = 1/[1/ C1) + (1 / C2)]
CTotal = 1/[3000) + (1/10)]
CTotal = 1/0.100
CTotal = 9.97f
The total capacitance is always lower than the lowest capacitance added to the
series string, so beware. Play around with this. A good way to check your
answers is to play with this capacitor
calculator: http://www.electronics2000.co.uk/calc/series-parallel-capacitor-
calculator.php (http://www.electronics2000.co.uk/calc/series-parallel-capacitor-
calculator.php)
When placing capacitors in parallel with one another, you are looking at much
easier calculations. When you place a capacitor in series with another capacitor,
you just add the two capacitances together, and that will be your total capacitance.
The maximum voltage you can charge to is always the lowest value. Let's use three
capacitors in our example:
Example: (C1 = 2.0v @ 10f / C2 = 2.5v @ 100f / C3 = 2.7v @ 1000f)
Max voltage charge is 2.0v (The lowest of the three)
CTotal = C1 + C2 + C3
CTotal = 10f + 100f +1000f
CTotal = 1110f
You can also place strings of sets in series, in parallel with one another for the
sake of compensating for lost capacitances. Let's say we have 9x 2.7v @100f
Post Comment
capacitors. We want a capacitor that is higher than 7VDC and has the most
capacitance possible. If we place three if these 2.7v capacitors in series, we get
8.1v, but the capacitance of the string is only 33.3f. We have 9x of these
capacitors, so if we make three strings of three, and place them in parallel with one
another, we have a capacitor bank that has a value of 8.1v @ 100f. Neat, eh? See
one of my capacitor bank videos here:
There is so much theory that goes into capacitors. If you guys have a specific
question, or perhaps a project idea, I will consider building it and displaying it for
you all, right here on instructables.com.
CONCLUSIONS:
This circuit was a prototype, and I will be using it for years and years to come. I
have a solar panel on my window that allows for me to listen to music using free
energy all day long, and even for a few hours after the sun goes down.
There are two things I'd like to do with my next version. I'd like to create a bank that
employs thousands of farads, has a more advanced charging circuit, and has safe-
charge features that are controlled by a microcontroller that cut off a charge once
the device has reached the proper level of charge.
Super capacitors are the wave of the future, relative to energy storage. I am
always looking for new ways of implementing them into projects. If you have any
questions at all, feel free to ask. PLEASE VOTE FOR THIS INSTRUCTABLE OR
SUBSCRIBE IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE!
THANKS EVERYONE!
(/member/haseebpk/)
25 days ago Reply (CU5DF5MHOHYFJJN)
(/member/cunnr006/)
25 days ago Reply (CFS3U0XHOHYK093)
(/member/Jean-Val%C3%A9ry+Thoraval/)
1 month ago Reply (CRQI2YQHO7XQ6MX)
8(/member/Tom+Hargrave/)
1 month ago Reply (CM7S6GMHNID29FA)
(/member/scci/)
3 months ago Reply (CLAKN3NHLY7FH69)
(/member/ctwistedpair/)
3 months ago Reply (C9IM3V7HKVKX826)
(/member/jumpjack2/)
5 months ago Reply (CUGENF2HJKC6KTX)
(/member/dsuprina/)
5 months ago Reply (C2W1XWFHINNWU5R)
haseebpk (/member/haseebpk/) says:
what is DC-DC BOOSTER CIRCUIT.????
PLZ SEND DETAILS, WHICH BJT OR FET USED FOR BOOSTER CIRCUIT
cunnr006 (/member/cunnr006/) says:
can this device be altered so that it charges from a 5v solar panel, and produces a
constant output of 5v with a power of 1w, would need to discharge over a period of 24hours
Jean-Valéry Thoraval (/member/Jean-Val%C3%A9ry+Thoraval/) says:
i just heard that the faster you recharge abattery, the faster it will die.
i was interested in super capacitor batteries
to charge lithium batteries fastier until i heard
that, any inputs on that?
Tom Hargrave (/member/Tom+Hargrave/) says:
Interesting project - the only feedback I have
is you need some sort of bleed across thecaps to even out voltage. Series wired caps,
even super caps, will charge & discharge
unevenly leading to uneven voltages across
the caps at full charge. Unless you are verylucky, the difference will continue until the
voltage across one exceeds its rated value.
Then it will break down causing the other to
fail.
scci (/member/scci/) says:
You sacrificed high power for more usability, I personally prefer the high power fast
charging. My charger requires a wall outlet and only works for specific caps andvoltages but it charges in 7 seconds.
ctwistedpair (/member/ctwistedpair/) says:
This is excellent! Do you have a picture of the pcb so I can etch my own board?
jumpjack2 (/member/jumpjack2/) says:
Thanks for the very clear and interesting description.
I have 2 questions: - how can I reach 64V in output? Can I connect in series two boosters, or do I need a
different output component? - how can I reach 100A in output? Can I just mount in parallel a dozen of circuits likethis? (btw, how much current does it support?)
I'm trying to boost my electric scooter by some supercaps: I have 20 supercaps rated
25F/2.7V each. By now I only need a few seconds boost for testing.
Thanks.
dsuprina (/member/dsuprina/) says:
What is the maximum current draw for the Super Capacitor battery? I'd like to use this
circuit (or something similar) as a means to support an approximately 4A 12VDC
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draw. Given the ultra capacitors used, how long could such a load be accommodated
in the event that the primary power source (AC input) is cut? (I'm looking for a shortterm -- as in a few seconds -- of UPS capability here.)
ckarthik (/member/ckarthik/) says:
hi nice work there..
I've a 12 v 5ah battery in my bike.. but it isn't really enough for it.. and gets easilydischarged.. i can't upgrade to a higher capacity because of space constraints.. so i
would like to use these super capacitors to increase the battery capacity so thatcollectively I've 9 or 10ah capacity.. any ideas? circuit diagram? thanks in advance
caranfis (/member/caranfis/) says:
I'm looking for a 12VDC, 3A super-capacitor to power up my device for 60seconds.
Does this circuit provide this amount of energy?
danm_daniel (/member/danm_daniel/) says:
awesome, I'm glad you're part of theinstructables community
wiltshire101 (/member/wiltshire101/) says:
Hi, thanks for the infos. Any idea how to homebrew super capacitor?
wiltshire101
Emiliano Valencia (/member/Emiliano+Valencia/) says:
Actually a DC-DC Boost converter will outputany voltage ABOVE it's input, if you feed it 20
volts, you can't get less than that!
dlongenhagen (/member/dlongenhagen/) says:
hello, the supercapacitor is truly a great thing however without the correct chargingcircuit it is just a large bulky expensive item. i did purchase a cap, just recently, iactually need a circuit which will take low miliamperage and charge these bad boys. if
someone has one let me know. if the guy running "http://www.electroniclessons.com/"would get in touch i would relate more input, as it is truly a experimenter circuit, oh,
did i say I'd pay....dave at [email protected]
waterlubber (/member/waterlubber/) in reply to dlongenhagen
Well, for the lower the amperage, thelonger the charge time. I think.
THE FORMULA FOR BATTERIES(only one I know, don't criticize me) is
BATT AMPERAGE / CHARGERAMPERAGE = HOUR CHARGE TIME
gosugenji (/member/gosugenji/) says:
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Could you use something like this to jump start a car?? Just wondering :x
flamekiller (/member/flamekiller/) in reply to gosugenji
This wouldn't be able to provide enoughcurrent to jump-start a car.
vvodking (/member/vvodking/) says:
maybe you should make your dc booster work at lower voltage than 3.4 so you would
be able to connect the supercaps in parallel. Otherwise it is an enormous waste ofcapacity and money.
0_Nvd_0 (/member/0_Nvd_0/) in reply to vvodking
If the voltage from the capacitors'
configuration is higher (series), lesscurrent is drawn.
In parallel, twice the amount of currentis drawn by the booster.
Power = Voltage * Current
Thus, you do not gain anything fromparallel configuration except the factthat equivalent internal resistance
(ESR) is halved. That can help in quickhigh current demands.
The real concern is the efficiency ofthe booster. Capacitors should be
arranged in a configuration to producevoltage at which the efficiency of thebooster is maximum.
fuzzhead (/member/fuzzhead/) in reply to vvodking
If I understood it right, then the energy
stored in an capacitance calculatesthrough the term E = 0.5 * C * U^2.
With the given Caps (400F, 2.7V) andthe two possible configurations thatmeans:
E(parallel) = 0.5 * (400F + 400F) * 2.7
^ 2 = 2916 J
E(serial) = 0.5 * 200F * (2.7V + 2.7V)
^ 2 = 2919 J
So the max. stored Energy is the
same for both configurations. -> Nowaste of money ;D
Correct me if I made a mistake ;)
0_Nvd_0 (/member/0_Nvd_0/) in reply to fuzzhead
You are correct. The configuration does
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not matter. The energy stored is alwaysthe function of capacitance and voltage.
EngineeringShock (/member/EngineeringShock/) (author) in reply tovvodking
I've never heard of a booster circuit that can boost less than 3.4VDC up to a
maximum of 34VDC while sourcing a relatively high current output. If you aretalking about a joule thief of some kind, then yes, you can boost less than avolt, but not up to a relatively high DC voltage, and with an extremely limiting
current output.
If you can point me to a booster circuit that can do what you're saying, then by
all means let me know about it and I'll surely implement it.
As well, the user does not have to use two 400f caps in series. They can use2x 3000f caps in series, or slightly modify the power supply charger to workwith a 12v capacitor bank.
Regardless, I've already saved about $50 in the past several months on
batteries, so it really isn't fair to suggest that it is a waste of money, especiallysince super capacitors last one hell of a lot longer than batteries if treatedwell.
dunnos (/member/dunnos/) says:
So... Should I be able to convert Farads to Ah or is that completely wrong? How long
am I able to draw how high a currents from this? It's confusing but really seems verymuch fun :)
Also, how long would these have to charge?
0_Nvd_0 (/member/0_Nvd_0/) in reply to dunnos
Super capacitor vs batterycomparison:
(5 * "Capacitance" * "Voltage") / 36 =
Battery rating in mAh at "Voltage"
I deduced it based on the energy
equivalence of the two reservoirs.
Hopefully, it is correct.
sparky3489 (/member/sparky3489/) says:
SPDT = Single Pole, Double Throw - not Pull
aaa3a (/member/aaa3a/) says:
where can i get this kind of super capacitors from junk boards as i don't need to buy iti searched in atx power supply but no luck could u tell me which boards or devices
should i searching in
regards
valveman (/member/valveman/) in reply to aaa3a
You can't get these caps from junk
boards. You won't find any cap near this
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capacity in any junk/atx power supplies.They are specialized caps. You need to
buy them new.
Look on Ebay
Aperture Laboratories (/member/Aperture+Laboratories/) says:
so, you could use a solar panel to charge thecaps, if you wanted to? ?right?
Inducktion (/member/Inducktion/) says:
You actually don't need a microcontroller or anything fancy to make it turn off
everything once it's all full.
All you need is an op amp, resistors, and a switch of some sort, be it a mosfet, relay,
or even a BJT.
JRL_J (/member/JRL_J/) says:
does the kit come with a charger for the super capacitors?
swimfan2489 (/member/swimfan2489/) says:
great instructable here! from what i gather here, are you basically usingsupercapacitors to completely replace your "battery" source? I am looking to make
something similar to this, it is a mini solar powered (4V @ 50mA cell) USB rechargerfor electronics but I want there to only be supercapacitors so this project is as "green"
as possible.. would it be possible to just use supercaps for this application??
tinker234 (/member/tinker234/) says:
so what could it power
BC-45 (/member/BC-45/) says:
how long does the charge last for?
Confounded Machine (/member/Confounded+Machine/) says:
Very interesting concept. I can see how thecost adds up, I've been working with some
100F super caps...not expensive but notcheap either. The surge capacity of thesebeasts is comparison to their weight and size
is unreal! I may just have to cobble togetheryour circuit.
Thanks
EngineeringShock (/member/EngineeringShock/) (author) in reply toConfounded Machine
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Post Comment
Hey Thanks for the comment. If you have 4x 100f 2.7v super caps, you can do the
same thing = ) Yeah, the great thing about super caps is that they're not goingto shock you. However, I have given myself a rather severe burn after
accidentally shorting the leads on my 96F 12.5V bank =( It set the insulationon my wires on fire. If you're interested, I have another instructables comingout today. If you're interested, check out my profile later on.
Thanks =) Pat
jam BD (/member/jam+BD/) says:
Very interesting idea. Nice project but the $90 price tag is deterring.The digital meter was a nice touch.
cypherf0x (/member/cypherf0x/) in reply to jam BD
You can get the supercaps cheap atgoldmine electric.
EngineeringShock (/member/EngineeringShock/) (author) in reply to jam BD
Hi Thanks for the comment =) Yes, $90is not cheap, but you really get yourmoney's worth. As well, 400f super
caps are not cheap. If someonewanted, They could use smaller caps,but the charge wouldn't last as long.
Thanks again =) Pat
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