A three-dimensional modelling approach is used to study the effects of operating and ambient conditions on the thermal behaviour of a NESSCAP 2.7 V/3500 F ultracapacitor cell for a 42-V automotive electrical system. The rate of heat generation of the ultracapacitor during charge and discharge is measured with a calorimeter. The transient temperature distribution of the ultracapacitor during cycling is obtained by using the finite element method with an implicit predictor-multicorrector algorithm. The results show that the temperature of the ultracapacitor cell increases during the first 50 cycles after which it reaches a periodic steady-state value that increases with increasing ambient temperature. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.