High Storage Density Capacitors

Phase I will investigate the feasibility of developing a novel class of very high capacitance per unit volume capacitors. It is expected to produce capacitances of Farads in volumes usually limited to micro Farads without the low voltage, low current limitations of many electrolytic types. Because energy stored is proportional to the product of capacitance times the square of the voltage, our concept may permit very high stored energy densities, and its high current capability will permit it to deliver high power. The concept involves two approaches, both of which employ electrically conductive polymers. The first uses conductive polymer electrodes impregnated into a high surface to volume ratio porous dielectric. The second uses dielectric domains chemically produced on the surface of a conductive polymer to give extremely high apparent surface to volume ratios. Both are expected to produce exceedingly dense capacitors with voltage and current capabilities well beyond those of other high density types. The U.S. Armed Forces will have a novel high energy density storage system available to them that uses no hazardous materials.