In a great primer on ultracapacitors and their potential applications, GigaOM’s Josie Garthwaite borrows an analogy from Joel Schindall, a professor in MIT’s Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems (LEES). She writes:
“Think of it this way: The ultracapacitor is like a small bucket with a big spout. Water can flow in or out very fast, but there’s not very much of it. The battery is like a big bucket with a tiny spout. It can hold much more water, but it takes a long time to fill and drain it. The small bucket can provide a brief ‘power surge’ (‘lots of water’ in this analogy), and then refill gradually from the big bucket…”
With this explanation of the relationship between ultracapacitors and batteries, Garthwaite recounts Schindall’s overview of the state of energy storage technology today. The piece is called, “How ultracapacitors work (and why they fall short),” but it could just as easily be titled, “The powerful benefits of pairing ultracapacitors with batteries.”
Certainly, Garthwaite’s “capacitor 101” discussion explores the idea that ultracaps work best right now in concert with batteries. But the possibilities implied by that relationship are significant. She lists several, including:
The article, which gives a digestible explanation of the technology, ends with some hints as to what the LEES professors are focusing on and what will likely come next for ultracapacitors. In the field, we see advances coming, as well, and we’re looking forward to delivering them to our customers around the world who are already realizing the value of ultracapacitor innovation.
ONEONTA, N.Y., Jan. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ioxus uSTART® has received two fleet industry awards for sustainability by eliminating lead-acid batteries with its ultracapacitor-based, drop-in battery replacement.
"With uSTART, fleets not only realize the benefits of improved starting reliability, there are equally important and real sustainability improvements from lead waste reduction," said Chad Hall, executive vice president and co-founder of Ioxus. "By replacing one of the batteries on a vehicle with a uSTART module, up to 15 fewer batteries are needed over the lifetime of the vehicle. This translates into 1,000 pounds of lead that will never need to be disposed of or allowed to affect groundwater."
EU legislation on batteries is embodied in the European Battery Directive. Its objective is to contribute to the preservation and improvement of environmental quality by minimizing the negative impact of batteries and battery waste. As these preservation efforts expand, sustainable technologies develop to manage and mitigate these risks.
Replacing a lead-acid battery with uSTART in a typical commercial vehicle creates measurable environmental benefits:
©2019 IOXUS Inc | 18 Stadium Circle, Oneonta, NY 13820 • 877-751-4222 • 607-441-3500
Employee Log-in