Super-Cap, charger

[simonbaker]

There was some interest in "super-caps" (like .47 farad tiny cap).

This document has a circuit to charge a super-cap to 4.5 volts from 1 AA alkaline battery. Might even work from rechargeable with adjustment.

http://cds.linear.com/docs/Datasheet/1610f.pdf

Search for "super" inside document.

-SB

[simonbaker]

Here is another nice chip for boosting very small voltages.

http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tps61200.pdf

-SB

[ron_o]

Re SuperCap charger

A very simple circuit for stepping up voltage is shown at

http://www.talkingelectronics.com

Look under Solar Chargers

Not a single ic in sight

Regards

Ron_o

[simonbaker]

A very simple circuit for stepping up voltage is shown at

http://www.talkingelectronics.com

Look under Solar Chargers

Not a single ic in sight

Regards

Ron_o

Good one!

[ron_o]

More SuperCap Chargers

See Elektor Electronics December 2003 Issue No 238

Simple 3 transistor and inductor inverter.

A cheep source of supercap type caps are memory backup caps as used in video recorders . typical value 0.22F at 5 volts

Hope its of use

Regards

Ron_o

[simonbaker]

See Elektor Electronics December 2003 Issue No 238

Simple 3 transistor and inductor inverter.

A cheep source of supercap type caps are memory backup caps as used in video recorders . typical value 0.22F at 5 volts

Hope its of use

Regards

Ron_o

Yes, thanks.

Regarding the step up circuit, it would be interesting to evaluate efficiency of these converters as that sometimes matters.

Regards,

-SB

[simonbaker]

Holy moly, 3 Farad!

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G17241

-SB

[Altra]

Hi Simon,

Those Aerogel caps are really great. They are much better than the typical ones found in computers and clocks. I designed a remote operated AC vent control, for a customer. We charged the aerogel cap using a small dc motor with a fan blade. The air flow from the AC kept it charged enough to run a 3v microprocessor, servo motor and rf receiver intermittently. They are like a battery, but self discharge in hours.

Did you see the missle gyroscope goldmine is selling? It outputs quadrature phase signals, just like a metal detector. Build a gold seeking missile

Best regards
Mark

[simonbaker]

Hi Simon,

Those Aerogel caps are really great. They are much better than the typical ones found in computers and clocks. I designed a remote operated AC vent control, for a customer. We charged the aerogel cap using a small dc motor with a fan blade. The air flow from the AC kept it charged enough to run a 3v microprocessor, servo motor and rf receiver intermittently. They are like a battery, but self discharge in hours.

Did you see the missle gyroscope goldmine is selling? It outputs quadrature phase signals, just like a metal detector. Build a gold seeking missile

Best regards
Mark

Pretty cool application of supercap!

Yes, I drooled over that gyro, even though I'm not sure what for.

In fact, a gold-hunting robot is a pipe-dream I think about. Put a GPS on a robot vehicle with a simple MD and have it ramble over a desert landscape and record coordinates where it gets target signals. Then go out and check those areas with a regular hand-held MD. The gyro could actually help filter the GPS and make it more accurate, using dead-reckoning -- although probably the GPS direction sensor is accurate enough for dead-reckoning. If too cheap to get GPS, then gyro would be quite valuable to filter magnetic compass readings -- but not worth the trouble since GPS getting reasonable now.

Fun stuff.

-SB

[Altra]

I came close to ordering that gyro the other day. But talked myself out of it. It probably cost the government mega bucks. I have zero use for it, but my "see how it works" is going to force me to get one

For more uses of those caps, google "beam bot"

Yes fun stuff!

Mark

[Aziz]

DIY Home made supercaps

DIY Home made supercaps:

http://www.ultracapacitors.org/forum/6171.html

Nice and interesting.
Aziz

[Altra]

Thanks Aziz!

I need to read through all the posts later, to see if this method is stable and practical. He said he was measuring 70 farads at 1 volt, that is amazing! So to make a 5v super cap, put 5 in series it would still have a capacitance of about 14 farad which is still fantastic.

Mark

[Aziz]

An interesting application of supercaps:

http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=77&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucolick.org%2F~npk%2Fdokuwiki%2Flib%2Fexe%2Ffetch.php%3Fid%3Dwritings%26cache%3Dcache%26media%3D10-2003_supercap_battery.pdf&ei=oOCzSsiBFpif_AaX-_CoDQ&rct=j&q=10-2003+SuperCap+Battery.pdf&usg=AFQjCNF6WN6McdLYUJsnL5XXnOxW6HNjBw

If the link above is not working, just search with google for
"SuperCap Battery.pdf"

Who is daring to make a DIY supercap?
It should be quite easy to make.

An interesting application to PI detectors should be taken into account. The super low ESR and high capacitance makes the part very interesting.

Aziz

[simonbaker]

DIY Home made supercaps:

http://www.ultracapacitors.org/forum/6171.html

Nice and interesting.
Aziz

I didn't read closely, but it reminds me of some "spoof" projects that are just jokes. Are these real?

-SB

[Aziz]

Hi simonbaker,

I didn't read closely, but it reminds me of some "spoof" projects that are just jokes. Are these real?

-SB

I have read the entire topic and more detailed on other sources (patents, wiki, manufacturers info, ... ) . I am sure, the guy stefan made it. There is no magic in the science and it is quite well known technology. It is like a "gold rush" to the companies and they did realize this after all.

The ingredients for such a supercap can be bought easily. The most complexity part is making the activated charcoal (AC) electrodes. He took some graphite powder to lower the resistance with the expense of lower AC electrode surface. Also some PTFE (teflon) as a binder, which has only mechanical function to the AC electrode.

For a low ESR, you might need much more paralleled supercap elements together or use a much higher electrode surface area (metal electrode dimension). The KOH solved in water can be used as an electrolytic, which limits the voltage up to ~1.2V. Above this level, the electrolytic dissociates and should not be used therefore. The manufacturers are using an organic solvent with some complex salts, which increases the dissociation voltage up to 2.5 .. 2.7 V.

If somebody finds a good electrolytic, which increases the max. voltage level of single element significantly, he could earn millions and billions!

Well, I will try such a basic supercap one day. Just for fun.

Aziz