Advanced Supercapacitors: Present Status, Prospects for Higher Energy Density, and Vehicle and Stationary Applications (Electric Vehicles: Everything is Changing)

In this paper, the present status of advanced electrochemical supercapacitors will be reviewed based on testing of commercially available devices and proto-type devices being developed in various countries around the world. The devices tested included a carbon/carbon cell from Skeleton Technologies (Estonia), a hybrid carbon/metal oxide cell from Yunasko (Ukraine), and a lithium ion capacitor device from DAE (China). Additional data are taken from the literature for other advanced carbon/carbon and hybrid lithium Ion supercapacitors. When cycle life data are available, they are also presented. Calculations have been made for other supercapacitor chemistries including those using titanate oxide and graphite in the negative electrode and lead oxide and NiOOH in the positive. These calculations indicate that energy densities in the range 20-50 Wh/kg seem possible with power densities comparable to carbon/carbon devices. The applications considered will include hybrid passenger cars, trucks, and buses, renewable electric energy generation (solar and wind), and grid transmission quality/frequency regulation. For these applications, the advantages of higher energy density devices will be evident.

Dr. Burke holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Applied Mathematics from Carnegie Institute of Technology, a M.A. degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Ph.D. in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences from Princeton University.

 

Since 1974, his career work has involved many aspects of electric and hybrid vehicle design, analysis, and testing. Dr. Burke joined the Research Faculty of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis in July 1994. He has performed research on and taught graduate courses on advanced electric driveline technologies specializing on batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells, and hybrid vehicle design, control and simulation. Dr. Burke has authored over 120 reports and papers on electric and hybrid vehicles, batteries, and ultracapacitors.

For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has more than 33,000 students, more than 2,500 faculty and more than 21,000 staff, an annual research budget of nearly $750 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges — Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools — Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.