http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0118093341.htm

This is the way to go! Sad to say, they didn't report the Ahr equivalent of the "UltraBattery."

Bob Wilson

 

100k miles in 12 months of testing is a good sign. Still, it's not like 100k miles in 50 months or 100 months. But a very good sign.
Why do you think they went with lead-acid batteries? Cheapest? / Best? / Sponsored?

Using a capacitor seems like such a logical choice. If I were designing a HEV system, I think I would've certainly started with that as a concept. Is there something inherently "missing" in these studies? I mean, if I think it's obvious, how could it NOT have been part of Toyota's, Honda's, Ford's, and GM's early concepts? Don't you think they ran through this option? It (the capacitor) can collect more energy than you'd want to shove into the hybrid battery all-at-once, yet trickle it in (or out) as necessary. The buffer-zone. This concept is used all the time in many areas (air bags, temporary storage or memory[programming], water heaters, warehousing in general). I just wonder why it's not a big player in our current hybrids.

 

Low risk and price. We have a lot of experience with deep discharge, lead acid batteries.

I've been following ultra capacitors but their prices were pretty high and availability limited. I think the Chinese are making them, a strategic risk to our national security.

What I want to see is an ultra capacitor battery pack that uses air-metal cells for primary energy. But this is another story.

Bob Wilson

 

Capacitors are some of the weakest electronic componates made. In circuits these are the guys that burn out first and then take out the other parts after them. I would think that this would be shorter lived and costly to maintain/replace. Time will tell.

If it is coming from China it will be cheap and have serious quality issues. The Chinese only care about price all other items are a constantly moving target.

 

That IS a good point, Allen (weak component).

 

It's just a lead-acid with supercaps around it. Nothing special and capacity only 1/2 as much as the NiMH.

 

Yes but most hybrid dont use the ful capacity of their Ni-mh batteries anyway. My FEH uses between 40% and 60% state of charge.

 

Good point. My insight uses 40-80%, so only about half the NiMH capacity. About equal to the lead-acid's total.