Maxwell Technologies and Argonne National Lab to Collaborate in Test of Ultracapacitor/Lithium-Ion Battery Combination for Hybrid Vehicles
Ultracapacitors' High Power and Batteries' High Energy Hold Potential for Optimal Integrated Solution
SAN DIEGO, May 15 / -- Maxwell Technologies, Inc. announced today that it will supply ultracapacitor cells and integration kits to the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory for a collaborative research project to assemble and evaluate an integrated ultracapacitor/lithium-ion battery energy storage system for hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Argonne will provide batteries and power electronics, design and fabricate the integrated energy system for installation in the Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) of the Advanced Powertrain Research Facility (APRF) in Argonne's Center for Transportation Research. APRF's primary focus is technology validation and benchmarking testing for advanced vehicles and their supporting subsystems.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Maxwell to collaborate with a world-renowned transportation research organization in demonstrating how ultracapacitors complement hybrid vehicle batteries," said Dr. Richard Balanson, Maxwell's president and chief executive officer. "We believe that this project will further validate the efficiency, low temperature performance, battery life and other advantages of combining ultracapacitor and lithium-ion technology."
Dr. Don Hillebrand, director of Argonne's Center for Transportation Research, said, "We are intrigued with ultracapacitors' rapid charge/discharge capabilities and their ability to handle the heavy cycling involved in regenerative braking, torque assist and other demands on energy storage systems for hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles."
Argonne and Maxwell have agreed on an active parallel system configuration that will combine a standard lithium-ion plug-in hybrid battery with a string of 112 of Maxwell's BOOSTCAP® BCAP0650 P270 650-farad ultracapacitor cells, along with appropriate power electronics and cooling and safety-related features. The system will undergo HIL validation during the summer of 2007.
About Argonne
The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
About Maxwell
Maxwell is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative, cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions. Our BOOSTCAP® ultracapacitor cells and multi-cell modules provide safe and reliable power solutions for applications in consumer and industrial electronics, transportation and telecommunications. Our CONDIS® high-voltage grading and coupling capacitors help to ensure the safety and reliability of electric utility infrastructure and other applications involving transport, distribution and measurement of high-voltage electrical energy. Our radiation-mitigated microelectronic products include power modules, memory modules and single board computers that incorporate powerful commercial silicon for superior performance and high reliability in aerospace applications. For more information, please visit www.maxwell.com.
Source: Maxwell Technologies, Inc.
CONTACT: Michael Sund of Maxwell Technologies, Inc.,
+1-858-503-3233, msund@maxwell.com; or Eleanor Taylor of Argonne
+National Laboratory, +1-630-252-5565, etaylor@anl.gov
Web site: www.maxwell.com/
