Ultracapacitor Module suits transportation applications.
Press Release Summary:
Encased in splash-proof aluminum chassis, 48 V BOOSTCAP® BMOD2600-48 module consists of eighteen 2.7 V BOOSTCAP MC2600 cells. Compact, fully integrated unit can perform for over one million discharge-recharge cycles with maintenance-free operation. Smart boxes include temperature and voltage monitoring as well as internal cell balancing and module-to-module balancing. Applications include heavy-duty transportation, industrial energy storage, and power delivery.
Original Press Release:
Maxwell Technologies Launches 48-Volt Ultracapacitor Module to Ease Integration for Heavy-Duty Transportation and Industrial Applications
Technology Breakthrough Sets New Industry Standards for Energy and Power Density, Cycle Life
DALLAS, Texas - Maxwell Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXWL) unveiled a compact, fully integrated, 48-volt multi-cell BOOSTCAP® ultracapacitor module for heavy-duty transportation and industrial energy storage and power delivery applications here today at the American Public Transit Association Annual Meeting and EXPO, where it is on display at Booth 3135 with ISE Corporation
Richard Smith, Maxwell's executive vice president for strategic business development, said that the new BMOD2600-48 module consists of 18 2.7-volt BOOSTCAP MC2600 cells based on a recently announced technology breakthrough that enables the cells and multi-cell modules to store more energy and deliver more power per unit volume and last longer than any other commercially available ultracapacitor products.
"In addition to meeting or exceeding demanding transportation and industrial application requirements for both watt-hours of energy storage and watts of power delivery per kilogram, these products will perform reliably for more than one million discharge-recharge cycles." Smith said. "The proprietary material science on which they are based also significantly reduces manufacturing cost, positioning Maxwell to achieve our stated goal of pricing large cell ultracapacitors at one cent per farad in multi-million-cell annual volumes."
Smith said that the 48-volt modules are specifically designed to meet end-user requirements for durability and maintenance-free operation, and have undergone several months of testing and evaluation by selected customers, including ISE, a San Diego-based integrator of hybrid-electric drive trains for buses and other heavy vehicles. David Mazaika, ISE's president and chief executive officer, said that the beta units' performance met expectations and was consistent with Maxwell's specifications.
"ISE introduced ultracapacitor-based drive systems to the heavy vehicle market because they deliver longer operational life and higher braking energy recapture efficiency, resulting in lower fuel consumption and emissions compared with battery-based systems," Mazaika said. "Availability of the technology in a fully integrated standard package allows us to easily configure energy storage systems with varying voltages to meet the power and energy requirements of a wide range of vehicles."
The BMOD2600-48 modules are encased in a rugged, splash-proof, aluminum chassis. They weigh 13.5kg and are 13.4 liters in volume (420mm L/200mmT/160mm W). These durable "smart boxes" include temperature and voltage monitoring and internal cell balancing that give designers "plug and play" solutions, plus module-to-module balancing that makes them versatile building blocks for systems with higher voltage requirements. They are priced at $1900.00 each in low volume and $1077.00 in mid-range volume.
In March, Maxwell won a next-generation ultracapacitor cell and module development contract from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), an entity formed by DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to strengthen the domestic auto industry's technology base through cooperative research. Under that contract, Maxwell is eligible to receive more than $3 million in matching funds from DOE through the FreedomCAR initiative that DOE and the Big 3 U.S. automakers established in 2002 to promote new technologies to reduce passenger vehicles' dependence on petroleum.
Smith noted that, as part of the USABC contract, Maxwell's MC2600 cells and 48-volt modules are undergoing extensive testing against rigorous auto industry standards for energy capacity, pulse power, abuse tolerance, calendar life and cycle life at DOE's Sandia and Idaho national laboratories.
"This independent third-party testing will supplement and validate the performance and reliability data that we have been generating internally and through customer beta testing," Smith said. "The MC2600 cell and BMOD2600-48 module are major stepping stones to penetrating the transportation and industrial markets by providing the advanced, low-cost, energy storage and power delivery technology that these applications require."
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 hybrid drive trains, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. They also 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 is critical for continued operation or a soft shutdown in the event of power interruptions, they provide reliable, cost-effective, maintenance-free energy storage. In wind turbine blade pitch and braking systems and other industrial applications, they provide a simple, solid state, highly reliable, solution to buffer short-term mismatches between the power available and the power required.
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 and POWERCACHE® backup power systems 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 our website: www.maxwell.com.
