Ultracapacitors, also known as supercapacitors, are quickly becoming the power source of the future for many applications ranging from handheld power tools to electric vehicles and even aerospace. There are numerous advantages that ultracapacitors offer over traditional lithium-ion batteries, these include:
Cleaner materials | Ultracapacitors use materials that are easier to recycle than those used in lithium-ion batteries.
High power density | Industry leading ultracapacitors have up to 60% higher power density (a measure of power output per unit volume) than traditional batteries can offer. This higher power density allows them to release and accept a large amount of energy in a short amount of time, resulting in fast charging. Imagine charging your power tools in 60 seconds! This makes them ideal for applications such as solar and transportation, where short term energy storage is required. E.g., solar panels can catch the energy quickly then send it to the grid as the daily peak occurs, and in transportation the regenerative braking energy captured is then used on the next drive away.
Long lifetime | They can have up to 1 million charge/discharge cycles resulting in lifetimes of up to 20 years as opposed to approximately 3 years for most traditional batteries. Ultracapacitors don’t have any of the charge/discharge regime complexities that batteries do, and they can be discharged to zero and remain fully functional. Less complexity, more reliability.
Wide temperature range | With the ability to withstand extreme temperatures of -40 °C to 65 °C, they’re far more functional in places with extreme conditions.
Safer | When used as they are intended, there is no risk of self-ignition or explosion.
Maintenance free | Once installed, there is no maintenance required, only simple monitoring. Great for hard to get to applications.
Ultracapacitors made with enyGy® film are even greater because they:
Boast up to double the energy (capacitance) in the same size package, or the same energy in a package 30-50% smaller, making them ideal for applications where size and weight are a concern.
Further reduce environmental impact due to less materials used to achieve the same power.
EnyGy® is able to provide these additional benefits because of the incorporation of graphene which has long been sought after as a replacement for activated carbon. Ultracapacitors can be cost effectively produced using enyGy proprietary graphene technology because of the use of graphene oxide, which costs significantly less than pristine graphene, as well as the use of standard machines and electrode film coating processes. As a result, ultracapacitor manufacturers can cost effectively integrate our graphene technology into their existing manufacturing processes and experience enhanced energy storage performance.
Media contact: Felicity O’Meara, felicity.omeara@enygy.com
Comments