High Energy and Power Density Electrical Energy Storage Device

Energy storage is an issue for high energy and high power applications. Batteries typically offer high energy densities with low power densities. For capacitors, the energy to power ratio is reversed. Therefore, capacitors have been limited to pulsed power applications that require high charging/discharging rates. Conventional ultra capacitors used in power applications are based on liquid electrolytes and the formation of electric double layers. However, these suffer from temperature limitations and have low energy densities. A high energy density / high power density capacitor would reduce/eliminate dependency on chemical batteries. High performance Ultra Capacitors would be of broad interest for grid storage/stabilization, directed energy weapons, rail guns, commercial hybrid/electric vehicles, space vehicles, and a vast array of portable electronics. Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing (ACM) believes high energy density / high power densities can be achieved by exploiting effective medium design concepts to allow energy densities to approach or exceed those of chemical batteries. If successful, the proposed technology will offer superior safety, lifetimes, and thermal stability compared to electrolyte based capacitors.