Got batteries? Get Supercapacitors!

The EEStor EESU uses a dielectric made up of aluminium coated barium titanate powder immersed in a polyethylene terephthalate plastic matrix. It may be mouthful at say, but it’s got a unique advantage to existing substances; it can store voltages in excess of 5000v without breaking down (losing insulation properties). This higher voltage is what makes the EESU unique. Energy is found by E = (C*V2)/2 (where ‘C’ is capacitance). Therefore the higher the voltage, the greater the energy stored. At 3,500 volts, we get the figure of 52.22kWh mentioned previously. Moreover, the voltage remains constant throughout the discharge of the capacitor.

For all the greenies out there, the nature of this supercapacitor makes it free of hazardous substances, unlike conventional batteries. It also allows greener electric cars to be viable forms of transport. The superior capacity and smaller volume greatly increases current mileage on electric cars. In addition, it also cuts the time of charging said car to five minutes (limited by current electrical infrastructure). Add this to the fact that the EESUs is solid state, and you’ve got a mass producible car which is cheaper to buy as well as run. An investor, US-based ZENN motors, has already been given the clear to use the technology in their upcoming electric cars. The technology would also be suitable for powering a house - charge the EESU during off-peak, then power the house during the day. That way you have a smaller electricity bill, and faster charging of similar capacitor based devices.

Perhaps the most attractive aspect of the technology is its small volume. The EESU can provide the same amount of power as an equivalent Ni-Mh battery at 3.93x less volume, and is 6x lighter. When compared to Li-Ion, the EESU is 1.25x lesser in volume, and 2.62x lighter. Smaller and lighter devices? Yes please!

Of course, with all this talk of groundbreaking technology, there’s naturally going to be sceptics. Many investigators have shunned the product stating that it’s “extremely unlikely that it's possible”. Regardless, when a company such as Lockheed-Martin (a military weapon manufacturer), and a 'little known' venture capital firm by the name of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers decide to invest, you’ve got to wonder if these claims have any basis. After all, KPC&B is responsible for the likes of Google, Amazon, Macromedia, Sun, Lotus, EA, and Compaq to name a few. The only issue is scaling the voltage to charge it, particularly for home use and regenerative breaking in cars.

For those who are interested in following this remarkable new technology, there are dedicated sites such as this which watch progress closely. If there’s one thing that inhibits the development of portable technology, it’s power, and with this we’re in for a very interesting few years ahead. Let’s hope those sceptics are wrong, because EEStor expect to start manufacturing this awesome technology mid-year.