Rechargeable, High Density Electric Energy Storage Unit

In this phase I proposal, Florado proposes to develop a solid state parallel capacitor as a energy storage unit for hand-held or small appliance applications by using a newly developed polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs). Florado have recently demonstrated that PDCs can have dielectric permittivity as high as 2 millions, greatly exceeding that of any existing materials. The preliminary calculation suggests that the capacitor made of PDCs can have energy density at least 10 times higher than the state of the art Li-Ion batteries, as well as much high charge/discharge rate, longer shelf life, lower cost, and free of liquid hazardous materials. The objectives of the proposed research are to 1) develop a PDCs composite which possesses ultra high permittivity and suitable dielectric strength, 2) design and fabricate the PDCs capacitor, 3) design and fabricate the electrics and packaging, 4) demonstrate the prototypes of proposed energy storage unit with testing results at the end of phase II efforts. The proposed research will significantly advance the electric energy storage technology beyond its current state. The proposed technologies will greatly benefit hand-held electronic devices such as cell phone and other portable devices. Except for those, the technology can be transferred for a variety of applications in other areas, such as the Electric Vehicles (EV) industries, renewable energy industries, and smart grid systems.