Ultracapacitors (UCs), known by different names such as supercapacitors, electrochemical double-layer capacitors, double-layer capacitors or electrochemical capacitors, have the potential to meet the high pulse power capability of the energy-storage systems for automotive applications. The primary advantages of UCs are higher power density and longer shelf and cycle life as compared to those of batteries. In the high pulse power operations for automotive applications, a large amount of heat is produced inside a UC cell. Because the lifetime and performance of a UC depend strongly on temperature, it is important to predict accurately the thermal behaviors of a UC for the efficient and reliable systems integration from an application perspective.

In this work, a three-dimensional thermal model is presented to predict the thermal behaviors of the UC. Both of the irreversible and reversible heat generations inside the UC cell are considered. The effective density and specific heat capacity of the various compartments of the cell are estimated based on the mass fractions of the components of each cell compartment. The effective thermal conductivities of the various compartments of the cell are estimated based on the equivalent networks of parallel and series thermal resistances of the cell components. The validation of the three-dimensional thermal model is provided through the comparison of the modeling results with the experimental IR image at various charge/discharge currents.