Maxwell Unveils BOOSTCAP BCAP0350 Ultracapacitors
Maxwell Technologies Inc. (San Diego, CA) announced the introduction of 15 V BOOSTCAP™ ultracapacitor packs and modules that provide easy-to-integrate energy storage and power delivery solutions for a wide range of consumer and industrial electronics and transportation applications.
The new packs and modules, each of which incorporates six BOOSTCAP BCAP0350 ultracapacitor cells, give system designers "plug-and-play" 15 V building blocks that can supplement or replace 12 V batteries in electronic systems with varying voltage and current requirements. Both the packs and modules incorporate active or passive cell balancing and pack-to-pack or module-to-module balancing. The packs are enclosed in lightweight, shrink-wrap, plastic packaging; the modules are enclosed in a rugged aluminum chassis.
The new BOOSTCAP ultracapacitors deliver up to 10 times the power and longevity of batteries, require no maintenance, and operate reliably in extreme temperatures. In transportation applications, they efficiently recapture energy from braking for reuse in the vehicle drive train, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. In mission-critical industrial applications they provide reliable, cost-effective, maintenance-free energy storage. In wind turbine pitch and braking systems and other industrial applications, they provide a solid-state, reliable solution to buffer short-term mismatches between available power and required power.
The BOOSTCAP ultracapacitors have a 10-year-life capability, deliver more than 500,000 discharge-recharge cycles and are resistant against reverse polarity. The cylindrical BCAP0350 cells, each rated at 2.5 V, are constructed of aluminum; feature a round, double-ended design measuring 61.5 mm x 33 mm (similar to EN 60086-2 and EN 60285 sizing); and weigh only 60 g. The 15 V BOOSTCAP BCAP0350 packs will be priced at $127, and modules will be priced at $200, in quantities of 1 to 15 units.
