Maxwell Introduces New Boostcap® Ultracapitor Energy Storage Products

Maxwell Technologies Inc. unveiled a new family of BOOSTCAP® ultracapacitor products specifically designed to meet the power and energy requirements of industrial and consumer electronics applications at Electronica Munich 2008. Michael Liedtke, Maxwell’s Vice President for Sales Marketing and Business Development, said that the new HC family of products includes compact, cost-effective, 25, 50 150f cells, all rated at 2.7V.

Key features and benefits are said to include: reliable performance for 500,000 or more charge/discharge cycles; zero maintenance over estimated 10-year operating lifetime; broad operational temperature range (-40 to +65°C); high power and energy density in low-volume, lightweight package; two-pin radial design for easy mounting; resistant to reverse polarity; and scalable to higher voltages via multi-cell configurations.

"System designers are recognizing that ultracapacitors enhance energy efficiency and functionality and provide ’life of the application’ durability for virtually any electronic device or system," said Liedtke. "The HC product family responds to growing demand by delivering Maxwell’s industry-leading technology in new form factors that are suitable for a broader range of electronic applications."

Typical applications benefiting from ultracapacitor cells in the 25-to-150-farad range include: robotics and factory automation; uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems for industrial and telecommunications installations; renewable energy systems, including solar and wind energy generation systems; cordless power tools; and consumer electronics.

BOOSTCAP ultracapacitor products are said to deliver up to 10 times the power and longevity of batteries, require no maintenance and operate reliably in extreme temperatures. In transportation applications, it is stated that they efficiently recapture energy from braking for reuse in hybrid and all-electric drive trains, reducing energy consumption and emissions. They are also said to provide compact, lightweight, "life-of-the-vehicle" solutions to stabilize automotive power networks and power new, all-electric subsystems, such as drive-by-wire steering. In mission-critical industrial applications, where backup power ensures continued operation or a soft shutdown in the event of power interruptions, they are said to provide reliable, cost-effective, maintenance-free energy storage. In wind turbine blade pitch and braking systems and other industrial applications, they are said to provide a simple, solid state, highly reliable solution to buffer short-term mismatches between the power available and the power required.