Using Classic Circuit Analysis Methods to Describe Voltage Performance of Battery-Ultracapacitor Power Source

Abstract

Circuit analysis methods taught in principles of engineering courses were used to develop instructional material for inclusion in teaching a course on Energy Systems Projects. The course involves lectures and lab experiments on renewable energy sources. The paper describes an experiment and its analysis as a typical unit in the course. The experiment concerned measuring the supply voltage of a rechargeable battery-ultracapacitor power source. Transformations were used in the analysis to reduce the battery-ultracapacitor circuit to a single loop and the Laplace transform technique was then applied to derive equations describing the transient voltage of the battery-ultracapacitor circuit discharging through a resistive load. The equations were used for calculations and measurements for a sealed D size lead acid battery in parallel with an ultracapacitor. Teaching the course in experiments and related lectures in a laboratory setting enhanced the excitement factor in both the teaching and learning of circuit analysis techniques.

Keywords

battery-ultracapacitor experiment teaching energy circuits

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