Think Different - Alternative Energy Engineering
Written by Greg Allen
Monday, 21 April 2008
Ultra-capacitors are also called Super-Capacitors – they are the new emerging energy storage technology. Currently they are being used for applications such as DC motor drives, UPS systems, and electric vehicles
Let’s go back to 1993 when United States President Bill Clinton challenged US automakers to “Think Different”: President Clinton was surrounded by the CEO’s of General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford and he said that the US Government was going to help build cars with better fuel efficiency. He said that their research would lead to production of prototypes vehicles capable of up to three times greater fuel efficiency, for example, “radical new concepts such as fuel cells and advanced energy storage systems such as ultracapacitors, to produce more fuel-efficient cars that are affordable, meet or exceed current safety standards and retain the performance and comfort available today.”
TODAY.. Five years after President Clinton’s announcement, ultracapacitors are becoming more mainstream as engineers are now taking a second look at alternative energy engineering. Ultracapacitors outperform batteries in several key parameters such as power density, cycle life and temperature sensitivity.
Many Utltracapacitor designs are also more efficient and can be manufactured more environmentally safe relative to the metals in lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries.
So… If you are an engineer and would like some assistance integrating an ultracapacitor, please drop me an email. I will find you the expert in this industry to assist.
Let’s think different!
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I just happened across this interesting website that is devoted to the subject of ultracapacitors
Ultracapacitors.org
http://www.ultracapacitors.org/index.php
This EEStor group really appears to be moving right along with a production plant in building.
Also found this discussion of interest:
Carbon Aerogel & Ultracapacitors