THREE-DIMENSIONAL FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF SUPERCAPACITORS

A three-dimensional finite-element model for the thermal behavior of a supercapacitor was investigated numerically for various pertinent parameters. The parameters included the thermal conductivity of the insulating layer, total heat transfer coefficient, and heat generation rate. In this study, the supercapacitor temperature distributions were obtained under both steady and transient conditions. The results reported in this investigation illustrate that the maximum temperature occurs in the core of the supercapacitor and decreases toward the external surface. Furthermore, the core temperature was found to increase rapidly with an increase in the heat generation rate (charge/discharge current), which requires designing a cooling system that meets the safety and reliability of power systems. Thus, the results presented in this investigation may be used to determine the required cooling system for actual applications of supercapacitors.