News / Events / Press

BestCap®: A New Dimension in “Fast” SuperCapacitors Written By: Scot Tripp | Dr. Arieh Meitav Abstract: Supercapacitors or electrochemical caps are rapidly recognized as an excellent compromise between electronic capacitors such as ceramic, tantalum and aluminum electrolytic devices and batteries. Generally, supercapacitors have energy densities several orders of magnitude higher than electronic capacitors (Table 1) and power densities significantly superior to batteries. There are, however, two negative characteristics associated with existing electrochemical capacitors, high ESR and capacitance loss when called upon to supply very short duration pulses at high current. This paper will demonstrate how the BestCap® successfully addresses both of these issues.

BestCap®: A New Generation of Pulse Double Layer Capacitors Written By: Bharat Rawal | Lee Shinaberger Abstract: BestCap®, a new generation of Double Layer Capacitors (DLCs) have been developed to deliver low ESR, high power pulses, or provide back-up power in some applications. These capacitors have values of 10 to 560 mF, voltage ratings of 3.5 to 12 volts and ESR values of 20 to 500 mW. This paper describes the electrical properties of the BestCap® and it’s endurance under different environmental conditions. Specific applications are shown for illustrative purposes.

BestCap®: A New Generation of Low Voltage, Low ESR, Pulse, Double Layer Capacitors Written By: Lee Shinaberger | Bharat Rawal | Chris Reynolds Abstract: Electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) produced for back up applications in the last twenty-five years had high Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) and high loss of capacitance when used in pulse power applications. In addition, the voltages of these devices were limited to less than 5 volts. In 2000, AVX introduced the BestCap® line of capacitors to address these limitations to serve the high pulse power market. This paper will present capabilities and subsequent improvements to the BestCap® product line.

Enhancing Cellphone Battery Performance During GSM Pulses Through the Use of a Parallel SuperCapacitor Written By: Ron Demcko | Patrick German Abstract: With the constant addition of features and functionality, battery life and reliability are becoming increasingly vital to those who rely on their smartphones. The transmission signal requires quick pulses of current from the battery, potentially causing the instantaneous voltage of the battery to drop below the phone’s minimum voltage of operation. This may cause the power to the battery to be temporarily interrupted. A series of tests were performed on multiple battery chemistries to determine the beneficial effect of placing an AVX supercapacitor in parallel with the battery, to improve the life of the battery as well as