Maxwell offers new ultracapacitor for hybrid and electric vehicles

Maxwell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXWL) has introduced a new compact 125-volt ultracapacitor module for energy storage and power delivery solutions for heavy hybrid and electric vehicles and heavy duty industrial applications requiring up to 1,500 volts.

The new HTM BMOD0063-P125 module is based on 2.7-volt BOOSTCAP MC3000 Power cells and incorporates proprietary balancing, monitoring and thermal management capabilities to ensure industry-leading charge/discharge performance, high reliability and long operational life, the company says.

"This high-performance module is designed specifically to satisfy rapidly growing global demand for ultracapacitor-based braking energy recuperation and torque assist systems for hybrid bus and truck drive trains and electric rail vehicles," said Richard Balanson, Maxwell's president and CEO.

"It meets or exceeds transportation industry requirements for watt-hours of energy storage and watts of power delivery per kilogram, and is designed to perform reliably through one million or more deep charge/discharge cycles, which equates to more than 15 years of operational life."

Michael Everett, Maxwell's vice president and chief technical officer, said that integrated monitoring capabilities and a highly efficient cooling configuration enable the new module to sustain continuous current of up to 150 amps with minimal temperature increase in high-temperature environments.

"In addition to managing high current, this module is built to withstand the harsh environments and demanding duty cycles typical with heavy transportation applications," Everett said.

The HTM BMOD0063-P125 is encased in a splash-proof, IP 65-compliant aluminum chassis weighs less than 50kg and measures 315x425x744mm.

Up to 12 modules may be linked in series to deliver a total of as much as 1,500 volts. Maxwell also offers a line of standard 15- to 48-volt multi-cell pack and modules.

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 and all-electric drive trains, reducing energy 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 energy storage.

In wind turbine blade pitch and braking systems and other industrial applications, they provide a simple, solid state solution to buffer short-term mismatches between power available and power required.

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