Safety considerations when designing portable electronics with Electric Double-Layer Capacitors (Supercapacitors)

Electronic Double-Layer Capacitors (Supercapacitors) have energy densities that are roughly two orders of magnitude greater than their traditional capacitor counterparts. The high charge and discharge rate, long life, low internal resistance, high output power, and improved energy density of the super caps has introduced the possibility of these devices being used in portable electronics. Supercapacitors can be used together with batteries as a supplemental power source when high bursts of current are needed, or as a stand-alone power source. As of now, there are no standards that specifically address safety considerations when designing electronics that implement supercapacitors. This paper discusses how we can apply what we already know from safety standards for rechargeable battery technology and expounds upon issues specific to capacitor technology that is not addressed in these standards.