Today, supercapacitors are found in many electronic applications. In automotive applications alone, they are used in startup systems, energy recovery solutions, and fast charge-discharge systems, to name a few. Supercapacitors can charge/discharge quickly without losing energy storage capacity over time. They also have very high power density. In contrast, batteries can store larger amounts of energy but they have a defined cycle life. A combination of batteries and supercapacitors results in a hybrid energy storage system that could help meet the needs of myriad renewable energy applications.
Supercapacitors can assist in delivering peak power while improving the performance of batteries in energy storage systems. Many supercapacitor manufacturers, utility companies, and researchers are developing hybrid capacitor-battery energy storage systems for future projects. Some are already using them in case studies and pilot projects, such as the one built by Duke Energy at its Rankin Substation in Gaston County, N.C.
Duke Energy partnered with Aquion Energy, Maxwell Technologies, and others to build a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) project. The hybrid system uses Maxwell’s UCAPs to help manage solar smoothing events in real-time—particularly when the solar power on the grid fluctuates due to cloud cover or other weather circumstances. The Aquion batteries are used to shift solar load to a time that better benefits the utility. The hybrid energy storage system integrates patented energy management algorithms.
The Maxwell UCAPs used in this program discharge and recharge power in a subsecond-to-minutes timeframe. They also boast long operational life in a wide operating temperature window. This is ideal for stabilizing short-term PV power output fluctuation in large-scale deployments, ensuring reliable access to solar power on the grid. In addition, a 100-kilowatt/ 300-Kwh battery uses a unique Aqueous Hybrid Ion chemistry (including a saltwater electrolyte and synthetic cotton separator). These materials should result in lower costs, while the water-based chemistry will provide a non-toxic and non-combustible product that is safe to handle and environmentally friendly.
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