Supercapacitors: The Innovation of Energy Storage

Abstract

In addition to the accelerated development of standard and novel types of rechargeable batteries, for electricity storage purposes, more and more attention has recently been paid to supercapacitors as a qualitatively new type of capacitor. A large number of teams and laboratories around the world are working on the development of supercapacitors, while their ever-improving performances enable wider use. The major challenges are to improve the parameters of supercapacitors, primarily energy density and operating voltage, as well as the miniaturization, optimization, energy efficiency, economy, and environmental acceptance. This chapter provides an overview of new techniques and technologies of supercapacitors that are changing the present and future of electricity storage, with special emphasis on self-powering sensor and transmitter systems. The latest achievements in the production, modeling, and characterization of supercapacitor elements (electrode materials, electrolytes, and supporting elements) whose parameters are optimized for long-term self-supply of low power consumers (low voltage, high energy density, and low leakage current, etc.) are considered.