Ultracapacitors for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

David Schramm, Maxwell’s president and chief executive officer, said that Maxwell has completed delivery of 720 48-volt BMOD0165 P048 multi-cell ultracapacitor modules to Golden Dragon for installation into 45 hybrid buses ordered by the Hangzhou Public Transport Group Co., Ltd.



Golden Dragon delivered the first prototype hybrid bus with an ultracapacitor-based energy storage system to Hangzhou in July 2007, for comparison with other hybrid drive systems under actual operating conditions.



“Ultracapacitors’ high braking energy recuperation efficiency and long operational life make them an ideal energy storage choice for fuel-efficient, low-emission hybrid transit vehicles,” said George Dong, Golden Dragon’s Hybrid Bus Program Engineer. “Maxwell’s products performed very well during the evaluation period, and the 48-volt BOOSTCAP module gives us a versatile building block for easy integration into various high-voltage configurations for heavy vehicles.”



“Golden Dragon has developed an innovative hybrid drive system for cleaner, more efficient, transit buses and other commercial vehicles,” Schramm said. “This program has given us a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the performance and reliability of our products and Maxwell’s capabilities as a supplier to an industry leader in one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing markets.



“BOOSTCAP modules meet transportation industry requirements for watt-hours of energy storage and watts of power delivery per kilogram, and are designed to perform reliably through one million or more deep discharge cycles, or about 10 years of operational life for most vehicles,” Schramm added. “This performance and reliability make them a preferred energy storage option for many types of public transit and commercial vehicles, so we expect heavy vehicle applications to continue to be a key driver for global ultracapacitor sales growth.”



BMOD0165 P048 modules are encased in a rugged, splash-proof, aluminum chassis. They weigh 14.2kg and are 12.6 liters in volume (416.2mm x 190.1mm x 156.7mm). These durable “smart boxes” include temperature and voltage monitoring and internal cell voltage management that give designers “plug and play” solutions and makes them versatile building blocks for systems with higher voltage requirements.