How to Characterize Supercapacitor Charging and Discharging

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Pro ATE System Power Supplies
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Pro ATE System Power Supplies
+ Pro ATE System Power Supplies

Measure Supercapacitor Charge and Discharge Behavior

Supercapacitor charge-discharge testing requires a two-quadrant direct current (DC) source, voltage and current acquisition, and a supercapacitor device under test (DUT) with defined voltage and current limits. Use a regenerative power supply sized for the selected operating window, including its low-voltage sinking capability. Configure voltage-priority operation with separate positive charging and negative discharging current limits. Begin from a defined lower voltage, then command the upper voltage setpoint. The source operates in constant current (CC) until the supercapacitor reaches that voltage, then in constant voltage (CV) while current decreases. Apply a specified current threshold or dwell time before commanding the lower voltage setpoint. Discharge at the negative current limit, then hold the lower voltage while the discharge current tapers. Record all four phases continuously.

For energy recovery measurement, define positive current as flowing into the DUT and negative current as flowing back into the source. Acquire voltage and current on a common time base and calculate instantaneous power as their product. Integrate positive power over charging to obtain delivered energy; integrate the magnitude of negative power over discharging to obtain recovered energy. Use the same measurement boundary and defined integration intervals for both quantities. Record the initial and final voltage, current limits, dwell times, and termination criteria with each cycle. Match initial and final stored-energy conditions before interpreting delivered minus recovered energy as cycle loss. Repeat the sequence at selected operating points. Report energy recovered from the DUT separately from energy returned to the grid by the regenerative power supply.

Supercapacitor Charge and Discharge Characterization Solution

Characterize a supercapacitor by sourcing controlled charging current, sinking discharging current, and recording voltage and current throughout both phases. The Keysight Pro ATE system power supply provides the two-quadrant source and load functions for this supercapacitor charge-discharge testing workflow. Voltage-priority operation with independent positive and negative current limits supports constant current charging and discharging followed by constant voltage holds. Simultaneous voltage and current measurements, digitized acquisition, and built-in power, amp-hour, and watt-hour calculations support energy recovery measurement across the cycle. The regenerative power supply returns absorbed energy to the grid and provides continuous sinking within its rated operating envelope without an external power dissipator. Select the voltage and current range against the complete test profile, especially the minimum discharge voltage and the required sinking current. Use defined measurement intervals to distinguish energy delivered, energy recovered, and residual stored energy rather than treating grid regeneration efficiency as supercapacitor efficiency.
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