Supercapacitors / Ultracapacitors
Supercapacitors (sometimes referred to as ultracapacitors) are electrochemical devices that can store an extremely large amount of electric charge in a much smaller physical space than batteries. The amount of electricity stored in a supercapacitor is proportional to the surface area of the device. Whereas traditional batteries release their energy slowly, supercapacitors can store and rapidly discharge a large amount of energy. Supercapacitors can also handle many more charge/discharge cycles than batteries. Supercapacitors also have low internal resistance which means that they can charge and discharge rapidly without suffering significant energy losses. This makes them useful in applications such as providing quick bursts of power in stop-start vehicle systems or providing energy storage in solar and wind energy systems.