Design and Experimental Validation of a Hybrid Energy Storage System for Nanosatellites

The energy constraints of nanosatellites, particularly during high-demand operations such as communication, data transmission, and long-term mission, remain a significant challenge. Usually, energy storage systems that rely on batteries, struggle to deliver the necessary power density without compromising lifespan, especially during eclipse periods. This paper presents the design and experimental verification of a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) that integrates a lithium-ion battery pack with a supercapacitor module connected through a semi-active topology to meet the long cycle life, high-power density, and quick charge-discharge capabilities needed to respond to the rising demand for enhanced nanosatellite missions. This study demonstrates the design, implementation, and experimental validation of a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) that incorporates a lithium-ion battery and a supercapacitor pack. The system’s goals are to increase efficiency, prolong the life of nanosatellite power systems, and optimize power distribution. A prototype including a bidirectional converter, which guarantees the power management between the bus load and the storage system, has been designed and tested with charge-discharge cycles of nanosatellite mission profiles to verify the performance. Sizing and selection of the supercapacitor pack is also shown in this paper. Keywords- nanosatellite, supercapacitor, energy storage, efficiency.