Can ultracapacitors replace lithium batteries?

Compared with lithium battery, ultracapacitor has the advantages of fast charging and discharging speed, high efficiency, long cycle life and high safety. These seem to be the antidote to today's electric-car conundrum.

While the lithium battery industry is enjoying a run for its money, one of its potential rivals is approaching: supercapacitors.

IDTechEx, a market-research firm, recently made a bold claim that supercapacitors will destroy the market for lithium-ion batteries. In a report titled "the ultracapacitor market 2014-2024," IDTechEx said the global ultracapacitor market will be worth $6.5 billion by 2024, with increased market share eating into the battery market.

Ultracapacitors are new energy storage devices between conventional capacitors and rechargeable batteries. Its basic principle and other types of double-layer capacitors are the same, the use of activated carbon porous electrode and electrolyte composed of double-layer structure to obtain super-large capacity. Because its capacity is very big, external performance and battery are the same, so also called "capacitor battery".

Why do some people think it will replace lithium batteries? Mainly from its performance considerations. Compared with lithium battery, ultracapacitor has the advantages of fast charging and discharging speed, high efficiency, long cycle life and high safety. These seem to be the antidote to today's electric-car conundrum.

The world's first super capacitor 100% low-floor tram, which was delivered in single batch in May this year, adopts 7500F double-layer super capacitor with a service life of up to 10 years and a charge and discharge frequency of up to 1 million times. Each time the train enters the station, it can be charged quickly, with a maximum charging time of 30 seconds and a maximum charging time of 10 seconds.

The safety of ultracapacitors over lithium-ion batteries has been highlighted in various incidents in recent years. In the past year, Boeing, apple, tesla and other companies have been plagued by incidents over the safety of lithium batteries. Experts also pointed out that lithium battery "old habits die hard", it is difficult to make up for its lack of safety from the technology. Supercapacitors, which use electrostatic charge to store electrical energy, guarantee their safety.

Today, ultracapacitors mainly play a supporting role for lithium batteries due to their low energy density. But thanks to the use of graphene, a "universal material", ultracapacitors appear closer to replacing lithium-ion batteries.

The researchers demonstrated the performance of a handheld flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor

Although there are many arguments about this at home and abroad, no consensus has been reached. But compared with the domestic enthusiasm for lithium batteries, the European and American countries' approach is more balanced. Germany, for example, put ultracapacitors on an equal footing with lithium batteries in its 2008 national electric vehicle development plan.

In terms of the industrialization of supercapacitors, some companies from the United States, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, South Korea and France are in a leading position by virtue of years of research and development and technology accumulation. Companies such as Maxwell of the United States, Nec of Japan, panasonic, Tokin and Econd of Russia now account for most of the global market.

Maxwell has been the first to taste the Chinese pie, with yutong now its biggest customer and orders accelerating, according to AlexanderPotter, an analyst at PiperJaffray.

In recent years, a number of Chinese companies have also begun to get actively involved in the industry, as they are optimistic about the broad application prospects of this field. However, due to the high technical barriers, before 2012, there were more than 50 manufacturers engaged in the research and development of large-capacity super capacitors in China, but only more than 10 manufacturers were capable of mass production and practical application.

However, given that ultracapacitors can be used in new energy generation, smart grids, new energy vehicles, energy efficient buildings, industrial energy saving and emission reduction, their use will determine their strategic value regardless of whether they will replace lithium batteries in a decade.

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