Supercapacitor Assisted (SCA)Techniques for Power Conversion and Protection Applications Slides

Abstract- During the last two decades, electronics industry has seen many commercial versions of electrical double layer capacitors (EDLC), which are also known as ultra-capacitors and supercapacitors, with the aim of complementing or replacing electrochemical batteries. EDLCs come in capacitance values from 0.2 to 7500 farads, with the limitation of very low DC voltage ratings from 0.7 V to 4 V. An EDLC gives an approximately one million times larger capacitance compared to an electrolytic. Recently some SC manufacturers have introduced a novel family of �supercap-batteries� where capacitance has gone up to 70,000 F. Compared to conventional capacitors with large DC voltage ratings, EDLCs offer one to two order greater energy density and approximately twice the power density.
Supercapacitors can be the basis for non-traditional and novel circuit topologies to achieve: significantly high energy efficiency in DC-DC converters; surge protection; rapid energy transfer; high density inverters and renewable energy converters with DC-UPS capability. Seminar will present a discussion on how to develop unique solutions to well-known issues in power electronics, with the examples of developing many patented or patent pending SC assisted (SCA) techniques such as SCA low dropout regulator (SCALDO), SCA surge absorber (SCASA), SCA temperature modification apparatus (SCATMA), SCA high density inverter (SCAHDI) and SCA light emitting diodes (SCALED). Industrial applications of these SCA techniques will be discussed including their application in DC Microgrid area.
Bio- Nihal Kularatna is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He won the New Zealand Innovator of the year award (2013). His electronic engineering career spans 43 years and he is active in research in supercapacitor applications, power supply topologies, and power conditioning. He has contributed to over 150 papers and nine reference books. His important contributions include two IET Electrical Measurement Series books titled Modern electronic test & measuring instruments (1996) and Digital and analogue instrumentation- testing and measurement (2003/2008) and three Elsevier (USA) titles. His recent research monograph on surge protection systems, titled Design of Transient Protection Systems, was published by Elsevier in 2018, summarizing his commercially oriented research on his SCASA technique. Multiple patents were granted for his supercapacitor assisted (SCA) circuit topologies. Before migrating to New Zealand in 2002, he was the CEO of the Arthur C Clarke Institute in Sri Lanka.