High Energy Density Capacitors for Navy Pulse Power Applications

Advanced power systems for Future Naval Capability depend on capacitor banks as the first stage of pulsed power. Significant electrical energy is necessary to support a range of applications including electromagnetic armor, electromagnetic gun and electro-mechanical aircraft launch systems. It is anticipated that each electric ship will require up to one trillion joules of capacitor energy. Advanced high energy density capacitor technologies are necessary to ensure successful technology insertion. TPL identified refinements to TPL polymer/paper film and associated capacitor construction that are projected to yield capacitor energy densities up to 4.7 J/cc for Navy pulse power applications. This represents a performance that is over three times greater than state-of-the-art capacitor materials. TPL proposes a program for development and fabrication of high voltage, high energy density capacitors for Navy pulse power applications. The Phase II effort will be directed at the development of TPL polymer/paper film fabrication and capacitor construction processes. Sub-scale capacitors will be produced and evaluated, and modeling will be conducted to establish the necessary groundwork for full-scale capacitors to be used in electromagnetic launch systems. The Energy Systems Institute of The State University of New York at Buffalo will assist TPL with film and capacitor analysis.