| The Ultracapacitor - also known as Supercapacitor, or Electrochemical Capacitor, or Electric Double Layer Capacitor (EDLC) - an intriguing energy storage device that bridges the performance gap between a battery and a traditional capacitor, is of intense interest for its potential use in future vehicles. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the latest technological developments of the device and its prospects for commercial application in automotive, as both the main and an auxiliary energy-storage device.
Is the Ultracapacitor / Supercapacitor an Integral Part of the Energy Storage Solution for Future Vehicles?
New automotive usage profile - The way that electrical energy is used in advanced vehicles calls for an energy storage system that can fully discharge and charge repeatedly in periods of 3 to 30 seconds, and at high efficiency. Such usage is at wide variance with the characteristics of standard batteries that generally discharge over many minutes or hours, and of standard capacitors that typically discharge over a fraction of a second and have low energy-storage capacity. Clearly, new usage profiles in new applications require a new energy-storage system design. Will this new system incorporate an ultracapacitor, with or without a supporting battery?
How can the ultracapacitor’s value proposition meet automotive needs?
This Report aims to answer this crucial question. With an in-depth analysis of ultracapacitor design, cost, and performance, as compared with those of a battery, the Report points the way to the specific technological advances that will be required for the ultracapacitor to enter the high-volume automotive market.
Key Topics
- Ultracapacitor design, performance, cost, and prospects for improvement
- Assessment of its current and prospective value proposition for automotive applications for key vehicle electrical architectures
- Outlook, opportunities, and impact
The Author
 Dr. Menahem Anderman,
President, Advanced Automotive Batteries
Menahem Anderman holds a PhD with honors in Physical Chemistry from the University of California. He has directed development programs for ultracapacitors, and for high-power Nickel-based and Li Ion batteries, and has held numerous technical/executive positions in the battery industry. In 1996, he founded Total Battery Consulting, Inc. and has spent the last seven years conducting assessments of battery technologies and energy storage systems for advanced vehicles. Known for his authorship of the 2000 CARB Battery Report, and his 2002 Advanced Automotive Battery Industry Report, Dr. Anderman received international acclaim for founding and chairing the premier international industry event: the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC). The 5th annual conference is scheduled for June 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii. |
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Scope
Market opportunity - Future vehicles require an affordable high-power, long-life energy storage device. If such a device is developed, it could support the proliferation of hybrid vehicles, leading to sales of millions of units within several years. The recent increased interest in ultracapacitors is a response to this enormous opportunity.
Technology - Although superficially resembling a battery, an ultracapacitor behaves quite differently, and provides a very dissimilar cost-benefit ratio. This Report analyzes its current and future value proposition in depth, tying key materials to product design and system performance in vehicle applications, all set against the yardstick of an advanced battery. Special emphasis is given to the crucial component material - activated carbon - and its prospect for formulation with a better cost-performance ratio.
Key players - The first ever application of an ultracapacitor in a high-volume commercial vehicle is discussed. The Report assesses the capability and prospects of key materials and cell developers as well as the activity and direction of automotive system integrators and users.
Method
Throughout 2004, Dr. Anderman conducted over 50 on-site interviews with chief technologists and new business developers of major players in the industry. This includes the major ultracapacitor / supercapacitor developers, main suppliers and developers of key materials, and most automotive users and system integrators. With additional contributions from industry consultants Dr. Atsushi Nishino, Dr. Thomas Keim, Dr. Andy Burke, Dr. Robert Spotnitz and Dr. Jason Lai, as well as interviews with Government and Academic Research Laboratories, the information will be integrated into a concise Report. |
