Opportunities for Electrochemical Capacitors as Energy-Storage Solutions in Present and Future Navy and Marine Corps Missions

摘要

Electrochemical capacitors (ECs) are an emerging class of energy- storage devices whose performance metrics span the critical gap that presently exists between the high power density derived from electrostatic capacitors and the high energy density of batteries. Because of their distinctive operational characteristics, there is growing interest in developing and deploying EC technologies for civilian and military applications, ranging from microelectronics to hybrid-electric generation systems to backup power, all of which have challenging energy/power requirements. This report first summarizes the types of EC technologies that are commercially available, and describes their general performance characteristics and common uses. Next, the author will identify specific Navy/Marine Corps applications where EC-based energy storage will be an enabling technology for critical missions, drawing from present research and development efforts within the Navy and other Department of Defense agencies, and extrapolating from related uses in the private sector. Finally, the continued evolution of EC technologies is discussed in the context of extending their utility for future civilian and military applications.