Energy recovery upto 50% using gravity and hybrid supercapacitors.

How can gravity and batteries cooperate to save energy? Elevator and crane systems typically use counterweights assisting motors by utilizing gravity. In theory, if there were no losses, using a counterweight would be sufficient to pull a load up or lower it down. However, in practice, fluctuating loads and safety measures require motor support. Hybrid supercapacitors offer high power density, longer lifespan, and improved efficiency compared to traditional batteries, making them ideal for energy storage in elevator and crane systems.  When the counterweight takes the upperhand, energy can be recovered.

In the test set-up a lift is used on a 100 m high tower (with a 87 m lifting height). The lift is designed to carry upto 1600 kg (about 21 people) and uses a 26 kW motor. The motor is coupled to a hybrid supercapacitor battery of 624V with a 5.26 kWh capacity.
The test setup aimed at measuring energy savings. The test executes 10 up and down runs with no load, a 25%, a 75%, a 100% load and in all cases with the battery connected and disconnected. The energy savings reach about 50% in the 2 extreme cases (no load, 100% load) as was to be expected but also showing that the energy  losses  of the elevator and battery set-up are minimal.

New high-voltage hybrid supercapacitor battery in a cool package.

Our hybrid supercapacitors shine when the demands are high and the 21700 4V/2.4Ah cells are our working horse.  Typical use cases are hybrid systems, like for traction in a vehicle, a fuel cell generator, a UPS or powering a motor with a high dynamic load and energy recovery. The benefits of the cells are first of all ultra-high safety, high power (10C with short peaks up to 20C), hence fast charging, long lifetime (up to 20000 cycles), but also a modest ohmic resistance which greatly reduces the generated heat. The combined properties achieve a very low cycle cost but also a reduced system cost. No liquid cooling is needed which increases the robustness, it reduces maintenance costs but even the noise level as passive cooling or simple air ventilation is often sufficient.

Hereby a picture of a 600V 20 Ah battery. It has a BMS (mainly needed for monitoring) with a CAN interface. A test with the battery being discharged for 120 seconds at a modest 5C (100A) registered a temperature increase of about 4°C. Note that the test temperature was 50°C.

Hybrid Supercapacitors meet the demanding needs of Africa.

One of the challenges in many still developing African countries is the energy supply. The countries are vast, the infrastructure is still being built up and the environmental conditions can be challenging. One of the consequences is the widespread use of portable phones. These are a lifeline for its users and for running a business. The challenge is to keep the phones charged. No grid also means that having a burning light in the house or having a powered fridge to keep food fresh, requires batteries.

This is where our hybrid supercapacitors make a difference. They are robust, can tolerate higher temperatures, won’t start to burn and last a lifetime. On the left pictures of a 100Wh/32 Ah powerbank and a 2 kWh portable power station.