Novel Fuel Cell Supercapacitor Hybrid Power System

High energy density capacitors are needed to provide load flexibility to fuel cells as hybrid power supplied for a variety of WMD sensors and detectors. New materials/manufacturing processes are needed to make these electrical power systems man portable. To develop high performance supercapacitors with fast recharge and high discharging rate electrode materials should have very high surface area. A new electrode material has been developed that offers electrodes with performance superior to those in commercial supercapacitors, particularly under high current demand. In this DTRA Phase I program, MER is proposing to provide proof of principle for a fuel cell supercapacitor hybrid system incorporating nanomaterials in a robust, ionically conductive polymer film. This novel reduced weight system design breaks with the traditional state-of-the-art supercapacitor hybrid configuration. The simplified structure provides an opportunity for the DTRA to acquire a 20-Watt and a 100-Watt average power prototype hybrid system for long duration operational testing with a capability to provide for some appropriate duration peak power levels of twice these average power levels.