Ultracapacitor Reduces Battery Size, Increases Life

A miniature 10-farad ultracapacitor is said to increase battery operating life while reducing battery size. Called the PC10, the new capacitor measures 24 mm x 31 mm x 4.5 mm and caches 31 Joules of energy at a nominal 2.5V for high-powered discharges ranging from fractions of a second to one minute.
With roughly 10 times the power density of ordinary batteries, the PC10 can provide power during an application's peak perids. This relieves batteries of peak power functions, extending their lives. In addition, the PC10 can make backup power available for critical information and functions during dips, sags, and outages in the main power supply or battery charge. The device is targeted at wireless consumer electronics and medical devices, scanners, power tools, or any other product requiring pulsed power capabilities. It can also be used in automotive subsystem applications such as power locks.