New Industry Products

Ioxus Increases Energy Density By 115 Percent with New Hybrid Capacitor

November 14, 2010 by Jeff Shepard

Ioxus, Inc., a manufacturer of premium performance ultracapacitor technology for transportation, alternative energy, medical, industrial and consumer product markets, announced that it has developed a hybrid capacitor, a combination of an ultracapacitor and a lithium-ion battery, with an energy density 115 percent higher than standard electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). Its production of a hybrid capacitor makes Ioxus the only U.S. company, and one of only two manufacturers worldwide, offering this technology.

Ioxus hybrid capacitors are similar to lithium-ion batteries, but they retain a far superior cycle life with more than 20,000 charge/discharge cycles possible rather than the hundreds or few thousand delivered by batteries. The hybrid components offer advantages over standard ultracapacitors, as well, which have an energy density of 12.8 Wh/L. The hybrid capacitor offers an enhanced capability of energy storage, providing power to applications more quickly and efficiently.

"When Ioxus received a federal appropriation earlier this year to work with Binghamton University on increasing energy density in ultracapacitors, we began developing hybrid cells capable of storing significantly more energy than traditional EDLCs," said Mark McGough, CEO of Ioxus. "The result is our hybrid ultracapacitor, which supports the high cycle, wide temperature range and high power demands of applications like automotive subsystems, memory back-up, LED lighting and other products in consumer-focused markets."

Hybrid capacitors can be used for numerous purposes, including: flashlights; LED applications; memory back-up; portable hand tools; solar charge applications; off-grid lighting; and automotive subsystems such as power windows and door locks.

Ioxus’ hybrid capacitor offers benefits to industries beyond lighting, given its temperature range of -25 to +60°C. At the low end of the range, the hybrid capacitor loses only 5 percent of its energy while comparable battery energy loss would by 50% or more. Ioxus hybrid capacitors are 90 to 95% efficient, offering far better value than batteries, which only offer approximately 70% efficiency.

"The hybrid capacitor supports the mission of clean tech manufacturers across multiple industries who are intent on capturing higher power and longer cycle life with components that also deliver green energy," said McGough. "The hybrid capacitor is a breakthrough in energy density and power that will fuel the development of environmentally friendly applications in markets from transportation to consumer goods."