Generalized modeling and experimental research on the transient response of supercapacitors under compressive mechanical loads

Supercapacitors (SCs) have been successfully used in electric vehicles or military equipment systems for their high power density. However, the mechanical impacts from vehicle crashes and missile penetration probably cause performance fluctuations or failure of SCs, which may threaten the safety of systems using SCs. In this paper, a generalized circuit model to analyze the transient process of SCs under mechanical loads is proposed. The circuit model simultaneously takes capacitance change, internal short-circuit and resistance change into account, and an extra resistor-capacitor circuit (RCC) is added to simulate the nonlinear behavior during charging and discharging. Subsequently, the relationships between pressure and fundamental circuit parameters are determined by static methods. By taking the static test data into the circuit model, the transient response of different types of SCs under particular mechanical loading conditions is predicted. Finally, the influences of some crucial parameters on the voltage responses of SCs are revealed based on the simulations, which provide references for designing and optimizing mechanical load-resistant or self-sensing SCs in specific application scenarios.