Capacitors and regenerative braking

In summary, adding capacitors between the bms and vesc should not cause an over charging issue if braking down a long hill. However, if you are using regenerative braking, adding the capacitors may help reduce the initial load on the battery.
  • #36
essenmein said:
Clearly a Li ion is not actually a capacitor, but their dynamic impedance is not that different during short current pulses where the V is assumed to be more or less constant, after all both are used as "short term" voltage sources. Now I'm comparing large electrolytics to Li ions, not something like a film or ceramic where you can get v low ESL.

Also its quite reasonable to model a Li ion as a capacitor with the right esr/esl and the capacitance value being determined by the energy stored in the battery between Vfull and Vempy.

Paralleling capacitors to a battery for short bursts would make sense if the battery source impedance is "slow" vs your application or you have very large inrush currents that might damage them (eg the starter batteries in the links above), but you would have to measure how much the volt dip is during said pulse at the inverter terminals to determine if this has any value. Keep in mind that any motor drive is already going to have some pretty high quality capacitors on its internal DC bus to deliver the xkHz PWM current and keep that HF current local to the inverter. Basically for transient current its an impedance matching game and the capacitors would have to approach the source impedance of the batteries for them to have any worth while effect.

To me the OP is not pushing his batteries (rated 150A and only pulling 100A) and unless the voltage dip is significant at the inverter terminals a capacitor would likely have minimal effect for transients and would need to be huge to provide noticeable energy storage increase.

IMO determine if there is even a problem with the set up as is by measuring before adding more stuff to it, if its a hobby and you just want to have the caps then fine but in any sort of product development there'd have to be a pretty compelling case to add them to warrant the cost.
This made me understand so much better what's going on and what to look for. Thank you.
 
<h2> What is a capacitor?</h2><p>A capacitor is an electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It is made up of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material, known as a dielectric.</p><h2> How does a capacitor work in a regenerative braking system?</h2><p>In a regenerative braking system, a capacitor is used to store the electrical energy generated by the braking process. When the brakes are applied, the kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted into electrical energy, which is then stored in the capacitor. This energy can then be used to power the vehicle or can be fed back into the power grid.</p><h2> What are the benefits of using capacitors in regenerative braking?</h2><p>Using capacitors in regenerative braking allows for more efficient energy usage and reduces the strain on the vehicle's battery. It also helps to reduce the amount of energy wasted during the braking process, making it a more environmentally friendly option.</p><h2> Are there any drawbacks to using capacitors in regenerative braking?</h2><p>One potential drawback is the cost of implementing a regenerative braking system with capacitors. It may also require additional maintenance and monitoring to ensure the capacitors are functioning properly.</p><h2> How is the energy stored in a capacitor released?</h2><p>The energy stored in a capacitor is released when a circuit is completed between the two plates, allowing the electric charge to flow from one plate to the other. This can be controlled using a switch or other electronic components.</p>

FAQ: Capacitors and regenerative braking

What is a capacitor?

A capacitor is an electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It is made up of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material, known as a dielectric.

How does a capacitor work in a regenerative braking system?

In a regenerative braking system, a capacitor is used to store the electrical energy generated by the braking process. When the brakes are applied, the kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted into electrical energy, which is then stored in the capacitor. This energy can then be used to power the vehicle or can be fed back into the power grid.

What are the benefits of using capacitors in regenerative braking?

Using capacitors in regenerative braking allows for more efficient energy usage and reduces the strain on the vehicle's battery. It also helps to reduce the amount of energy wasted during the braking process, making it a more environmentally friendly option.

Are there any drawbacks to using capacitors in regenerative braking?

One potential drawback is the cost of implementing a regenerative braking system with capacitors. It may also require additional maintenance and monitoring to ensure the capacitors are functioning properly.

How is the energy stored in a capacitor released?

The energy stored in a capacitor is released when a circuit is completed between the two plates, allowing the electric charge to flow from one plate to the other. This can be controlled using a switch or other electronic components.

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