Industrial Applications

Innumerable industrial applications require reliable, efficient and long-lasting high-power energy storage solutions. Ultracapacitors have shown themselves to be the superior technology in numerous applications, such as:

• Fork lifts
• Cranes, straddle carriers, RTG cranes
• Construction machinery
• Telecom
• Robotics, automated systems
• Driverless transport vehicles
• Electronic door locks, door and vent opening systems, flap control
• Medical devices
• Consumer electronics
• Kitchen appliances
• Real-time clock backup
• Utility meters
• Remote power for sensors, LEDs, switches
• Memory-backup SRAM
• Burst-mode power delivery

Forklift Trucks, Cranes, Straddle Carriers, Construction Machinery

At the forefront of these applications is the recuperation of energy. Ultracapacitors are used here to store energy during the lowering or braking of the load and to release this again when, for example, lifting or moving.

In the case of a diesel operated vehicle or piece of equipment, the downsizing of the combustion engine can then be achieved through the hybridization of the power unit. Due to the smaller combustion engine, the fuel consumption can be reduced significantly.
With a purely electric vehicle or piece of equipment with battery storage, the ultracapacitor storage supports the battery in the event of peak load demands and thereby extends the service life of the battery.

In the case of a diesel operated vehicle or piece of equipment, the downsizing of the combustion engine can then be achieved through the hybridization of the power unit. Due to the smaller combustion engine, the fuel consumption can be reduced significantly.
With a purely electric vehicle or piece of equipment with battery storage, the ultracapacitor storage supports the battery in the event of peak load demands and thereby extends the service life of the battery.

Telecom

Lead acid batteries have a history of providing energy storage in telecom and datacom applications, where they offer anywhere from several minutes to several hours of backup power. However, their reliability is often a concern. In many systems, the batteries experience mostly short-term disruptions that last a few seconds. The repeated hits for pulses of energy tend to degrade battery reliability and shorten operating life.

Ultracapacitors supply pulses of power reliably and may therefore be used with or in place of batteries. By providing several seconds of backup power, ultracapacitors overcome the battery reliability issues. It’s not meant to replace every battery solution in telecom — just those found in installations where uptime is paramount and where the ultracapacitors enable a safe shutdown of the system or they “bridge” to a generator, fuel cell or other source of long-term backup power. The results are decades of maintenance-free operation and the ability to recharge quickly and handle successive disturbances.

Robotics

Ultracapacitors are used in many power-management applications requiring many rapid charge/discharge cycles for short-term power needs. Such power requirements are typical for robotics and other automated systems used to help manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety.