MIT's Nano Storage Could Replace Hybrid Batteries 191
mattnyc99 writes "Last week we discussed Popular Mechanics' reporting from MIT, but missed one of the coolest breakthrough of all, something scientists have been working on quietly as Detroit spends money elsewhere. The Lab for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems has been doing some mega-efficient work with ultracapacitors, which store drastically less energy than a battery but have essentially none of the drawbacks — especially via carbon nanotube arrays. Automotive experts say the new research is enough to start replacing batteries in hybrid cars, and plug-in vehicles might not be far behind. From the scientist who thinks ultracapacitors are potential competitors for the pack in his Toyota Prius: 'I try to contain myself, because it hasn't been proven yet, but it could be a real paradigm change.'"
Better capacitors (Score:4, Interesting)
Did anybody elses Science Teacher (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Theoretical limit of capacitors? (Score:5, Interesting)
Interestingly, this is dependent (duh) on the strength (energy) of chemical bonds, so IIRC, the theoretical limit for capacitors is actually pretty much the same as for chemical fuels or batteries. (Now, small electric motors are more efficient than small engines, so electric systems can be a huge win, although the fuel system don't have to carry their own oxidizer...blah blah blah.)
Pretty much anything non-nuclear (you can throw flywheels, nanotech windup springs, and what have you in, too), should in a perfect world max out at roughly the same magnitude because they're all fundamenentally dependent on that chemical bond strength.
Re:Capacitors have drawbacks too (Score:-1, Interesting)
Re:Capacitors have drawbacks too (Score:3, Interesting)
Additionally I could see a solution in which not all capacitors are use at the same time. By activating them in a proper order/way, one could make a more constant source that can then be the input for a SMPS.
Electricity (Score:4, Interesting)
I know everyone likes Electricity and such, but current demands are taxing the existing power grid / infrastructure.
And with all the NIMBYs out there, nobody is willing to build new and needed Hydro Electric, Nuclear, Coal powered plants anytime soon. So, the result is "cool, electric cars, but I can't use them because of the blackouts". And I don't assume that somehow people will give up the NIMBY attitudes for an electric car.
Its easy to be an environmentalist, you don't have to think of the requirements to achieve whatever goals you might have. It just has to sound good.
They've come a long way (Score:3, Interesting)
An alternative was to purchase existing 1 farad supercaps and build the required capacitance through series and parallel circuits to get the voltage and capacitance up. The cost was over $250,000 at the time. The last issue was building a charging circuit that could quickly charge the cap up within 30 minutes.
I also explored the design of making a 200 mph electric dragster. The issue was the megawatts of electrical energy that needs to be transferred within 6 seconds to the electric motors. It was the equivalent of a large electrical explosion. Here's the latest world record electric dragster at 160 mph: Dennis "Kilowatt" Berube [teva2.com]
Re:less than batteries? (Score:-1, Interesting)
Is all the energy released in a few milliseconds, as an explosion, or a cool lightning bolt that burns up the car's sheet metal parts, like what happens to a CD in the microwave?
Will I be able to get an automotive ultracap from the junkyard in a few years, charge it, and cross its terminals with a bolt (from a distance), for 4th of July?
Anybody think that will be illegal in California?
Re:rtfa (Score:-1, Interesting)
Re:Ka Booooooom!!! (Score:3, Interesting)
Lets take your 400 miles of charge (100 kw/h) and break it into 1000+ watch battery sized devices.
Sure if one gets pierced it is bad, but a well grounded system will prevent the others from melting while the one goes Ka BOOOOOOM.
Not only that, but I bet it will be cheaper to manufacture them in mass when they are small.
Re:Ka Booooooom!!! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:less than batteries? (Score:2, Interesting)
Regenerative braking plays a big role there. Right now, a lot of energy from the brakes on electrics/hybrids is lost to heat because the battery can't absorb the charge fast enough. Adding a supercap (even if it's just a few) would greatly increase overall efficiency.
But in general, supercaps are dumb if they're used alone. Caps are good for storing and releasing a lot of charge very quickly, not letting it bleed out slowly.
Re:Ka Booooooom!!! (Score:3, Interesting)
Ultimately for car applications what is going to matter is discharge rate and recovery. If the capacitor bank completely discharges in an event then figure anything in current path is now molten. Any electrolyte will become a vapor. Don't the double layer carbon capacitors use sulphuric acid as an electrolyte?
Re:How about on-the-go charging? (Score:3, Interesting)