Optimization of power and energy densities in supercapacitors

Supercapacitors use nanoporous electrodes to store large amounts of charge on their high surface areas, and use the ions in electrolytes to carry charge into the pores. Their high power density makes them a potentially useful complement to batteries. However, ion transport through long, narrow channels still limits power and efficiency in these devices. Proper design can mitigate this. Current collector geometry must also be considered once this is done. Here, De Levie's model for porous electrodes is applied to quantitatively predict device performance and to propose optimal device designs for given specifications. Effects unique to nanoscale pores are considered, including that pores may not have enough salt to fully charge. Supercapacitors are of value for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and power conditioning in electrical grids with distributed renewable sources, and that value will increase as new device fabrication methods are developed and proper design accommodates those improvements. Example design outlines for vehicle applications are proposed and compared.