Analysis and discussion of issues that impact business

This ain't your Grandma's battery.

Fascinating press release about an emerging technology. Admittedly it's a press release, and admittedly it's still very new and very expensive, this still caught my eye.

Although battery chemistries have higher energy densities in comparison to ultracapacitors, their power delivery, when the application demands it, remains poor. In comparison, ultracapacitors are a powerful energy source, where power surge requirements have to be met, and have already found immense use in consumer electronics such as mobile phones and PDAs.

In a nutshell, current battery technology is not efficient enough to handle many complex applications. It's one of the reasons that an electric vehicle "revolution" is still very far off.

I'm not a huge "tekkie", but this is still interesting.

Novel electronic devices, with their advanced features, demand a good energy source for sudden high power requirements as well as for memory storage. As a result, ultracapacitors are proving the ideal solution for such needs not only due to their high power density, but also because of their unlimited ability to charge and discharge without affecting their structure.

In addition to the "novel electronic devices" market, ultracapacitors have application in the transportation, industrial, and commercial industries.

In the industrial segment, ultracapacitors can enhance the life
of a battery, when used in conjunction with the battery as it absorbs and protects against any sags and surges in the voltage that could damage or limit the battery.

"In the transportation segment, the ultracapacitor interestingly has a very different role and its quick charge and recharge ability, combined with its high power density, is being tested for regenerative breaking as well as stop and go applications," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Anu Abraham. "Breaking and accelerating consume high amounts of fuel and when ultracapacitors are employed in the process, they successfully reduce overall fuel consumption in the cars."

Well, it certainly won't happen overnight, but this could be a big breakthrough for current industries, and an emerging industry to watch.