Power Electronics-based Switched Supercapacitor Bank Circuits with Enhanced Power Delivery Capability for Pulsed Power Applications

Supercapacitors (SCs) are one of the finest alternatives to deal with transient load demands in various pulsed power applications. However, they lack in utilizing their entire energy due to their linear discharge characteristics. Furthermore, the series connection of SCs in a bank offers lower storage capacity that restricts their total power delivery duration. To circumvent these issues, several switching circuits with a timely transition are employed in the SC banks. This paper deals with the state-of-the-art SC bank switching architectures and assesses their performance through simulation studies in the PLECS software platform. The key performance of each configuration in terms of energy utilization, power delivery duration, and terminal voltage variations are holistically evaluated. Finally, the distinct features of each topology are highlighted.