A new approach for high power 48 V energy storage

Summary:

Ultracapacitors are high power energy storage devices and can store and provide large power peaks. This is possible due to the physical storage of energy within the electrochemical double layer, an energy storage mechanism different from the chemical storage of energy within (Lithium-ion) batteries.
While Ultracapacitors can provide high specific power, they generally lack the energy storage capabilities of Lithium-Ion batteries (LIBs), but provide significant advantages in other areas such as safety, deep discharge behavior and system lifetime. Ultracapacitors and Lithium-Ion batteries should thus not be seen as competitor technologies, but as complementary systems, especially in applications where high power-to-energy ratios are required.
As the largest producer of Ultracapacitors in Europe, Skeleton Technologies offers a broad range of Ultracapacitor based energy storage systems for high power applications. However, novel automotive board net applicationss indicate the need for energy storage systems providing both high power and high energy capabilities within strict boundaries of weight and volume. As a consequence, Skeleton has been developing novel hybrid systems, joining the high power capabilities of Ultracapacitors with the energy storage capabilities of LIBs. Several synergetic effects can be observed with such systems, such as smaller size and weight, lower total cost of ownership, longer lifetime and higher safety. As high power peaks lead to increased degradation and self heating in LIBs, Skeleton’s approach aims at decreasing power load on the LIB, enabling the use of a “high-energy” type of LIB, sacrificing power for lower cost and higher energy, as any power peaks can be serviced using the Ultracapacitor part of the system.
In addition, Skeleton has recently announced the “Superbattery” technology, which presents a 60 Wh/kg paired with over 14kW/kg power density on cell level, exhibiting a power to energy ratio of 240 W/Wh.
This presentation will cover not only the combination of Ultracapacitors and Lithium Ion Batteries for 48 V systems, but also provide insight in using Superbattery technology as a standalone solution for modern 12 V and 48 V systems in order to address high power requirements in these systems.