What are Ultracapacitors?
The ultracapacitor is a new way of storing electric energy that will eclipse chemical batteries in the near future. Instead of storing energy electrochemically, it stores it in an electric field. Ultracapacitors have multiple advantages over conventional batteries, including a lifetime of over 10 years, resistance to changes in temperature, shock, overcharging, and discharging efficiency. They require less maintenance than conventional batteries and are light on the environment when disposed because they lack toxic chemicals. These futuristic batteries have been made since the 1960s, but only in the last decade have they become cost-effective for use in electricity-guzzling tools from the electric car to specialized computers. They are popular for “bridging” applications, in which backup power kicks in as primary systems fail, producing “zero-downtime” power schemes. Because they can’t be overcharged, ultracapacitors are ideal for recouping power from things like braking. And they can
