SHANGHAI IMAX ELECTRONIC CO.,LTD has developed a supercapacitor module for starting car engines.
Its aim is to reduce wear on the main battery by providing up to 300A of starter current in micro-hybrid vehicles - cars in which the petrol engine is frequently re-started.
Containing six of the company''s supercapacitors, the module is "about the size of six DVD cases" said the firm, and provides 150F at 14V with a series resistance of 4.5m?.
It includes electronics to manage stop-start, balance voltage across the individual capacitors, and limit the battery current during starting.
"With the module installed, the vehicle battery only needs to support continuous power functions such as air conditioning, navigation and lights," said our technician. "The battery also charges the supercapacitors for their first start, but once driving, the alternator keeps them charged."
The module can also start an engine at temperatures so low that a battery would falter, claimed the firm, and act as an energy store for regenerative braking.
Tested under the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) standard, said our technician, the module completed more than 110,000 stop-start cycles at room temperature, maintaining the battery voltage above 11.8V.
Under the same conditions, the same battery type alone drooped to 10V during starting after 44,000 starts, claimed by IMAX electronic.