HIGH POWER SUPERCAPACITORS FOR HYBRID ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS FOR SOLDIERS AND VEHICLES

Rechargeable Li-ion batteries such as BB-2590 are critical energy storage devices used for military applications. While these devices can have energy densities exceeding 150 Wh/kg, this energy is difficult to fully access in pulsed and high power applications due to the relatively slow kinetics associated with their redox processes¹. As the demands for power and energy increase in the battlefield soldiers to access to new power and energy sources rapidly. Energy efficiency and recharge rates are critical for maintaining and sustaining equipment and communications. Supercapacitors are a class of electrochemical energy-storage device that could complement batteries in hybrid energy storage systems for applications in military and transportation, and load-leveling or uninterruptible power supply. In terms of their specific energy and specific power, supercapacitors partially fill the gap between conventional capacitors and batteries. Accordingly, these devices can improve the performance of electronic power sources in applications where multiple cycles and high-power performance are required. Noticeably, supercapacitors can be included in a hybrid configuration to manage short, high power pulses, thereby minimizing stresses on the primary energy-storage device.