Supercapacitors vs. Lithium-ion Batteries: Properties and Applications

Supercapacitors attract attention due to their superior values in the parameters like capacitance, discharge currents and cycle lifespan. Supercapacitors are designed and used in many applications where they partially or completely substitute conventional batteries. On the other side, supercapacitors are used in applications which are not so far suitable for these devices. To avoid wrong design and misuse of the supercapacitors it is necessary to correctly understand their properties, key advantages and disadvantages. Similar situation can be found in the field of lithium-ion batteries. The modern world faces many challenges, one of the biggest technology challenge of today is the accumulation and storage of electric energy. This issue is related with the use of renewable energy sources and the rapid development of electromobility. Theoretically, there are many ways to store electric energy, but in reality, these possibilities are limited to the battery and supercapacitor technology. image