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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
COMPANY OVERVIEW
FastCAP Systems is an energy storage company started in 2009 from research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Initially funded from an ARPA-E grant for advanced energy storage research and also DoE
for geothermal technology researcy, FastCAP now operates in Boston, Massachusetts and
maintains a workforce of roughly 20 employees. FastCAP specializes in ultracapacitor
devices and systems for a variety of markets including energy exploration, aerospace and
defense, automotive, and stationary storage. FastCAP's ultracapacitors are a unique form
of energy storage that offer unparalleled performance in high reliability and extreme
environment applications. They are lithium free, high powered, rechargeable devices
which operate in extremely high temperature, shock, and vibration conditions enabling
unprecedented performance in some of the most challenging environments found in the
oil & gas, aerospace, and defense industry.
FastCAP is ready to engage on projects and partnerships to advance its technology for short-term, near-term and long-term business
opportunities. FastCAP’s wealth of experience in developing specialized ultracapacitors and ultracapacitor-based systems opens the
door to a suite of technology and potential not seen anywhere else in the energy storage industry. Additionally, FastCAP’s competency
in advanced nanomaterials provides opportunities to complement and broaden its wide array technology opportunities.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
FastCAP’s line of high-temperature ultracapacitors introduces the first practical rechargeable energy storage available for extreme
temperature environments. FastCAP’s technology provides engineers with a new means for down-hole power generation, storage,
and delivery enabling higher performance, higher efficiency, safer, and less expensive operations.
• Proprietary electrodes
– Low internal resistance (ESR)
• Proprietary, high performance electrolyte – Great cycleability
– Wide voltage window
– Optimized for high power and
extended lifetime
FastCAP’s core exploration technology is an ultracapacitor cell specifically designed for the oil
and gas market. Each extreme environment (EE) cell is capable of 150°C operation with 20g
vibration and 500g shock survival. There are currently no other capacitors on the market capable
of matching the high reliability and high performance of FastCAP extreme environment
ultracapacitors.
The EE cell technology was validated in the oilfield throughout an aggressive testing campaign
of FastCAP’s Ulyss EM telemetry system (ET) that took place from October 2014 to December
2015. The EM telemetry system consists of an APS DiPole module outfitted with a high energy
ultracapacitor module and custom power electronics for charging and signal amplification. By
utilizing the ultracapacitors for rechargeable energy storage, the ET system is capable of more
than 150W output power without exceeding 40W input power. The results showed a greater
signal to noise ratio without diminishing battery lifetime.
Over 20 wells were completed throughout the Eagle Ford, DJ, and Bakken regions over the
course of the testing program. The performance of the high power electronics and capacitor modules was validated across a full range
of drilling operations. Significant improvements to the surface signal detection hardware and software were also confirmed to mitigate
the effects of highly dissipative formations and severe electrical interference.
FastCAP’s high-temperature ultracapacitors exceed the performance capabilities of any other ultracapacitor on the market, enabling
new fields of exploration and development.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
Battery cycle life, or the number of charge cycles before a battery’s capacity falls
below 80% of its original capacity, is adversely affected by full charge/discharges
as well as frequent large power draw cycling. Quickly charging and discharging
lithium-ion cells, during events such as high acceleration and deceleration, can
result in lithium metal deposition on the anode and ultimately lifetime
degradation.
Ultracapacitors exhibit both high power density and exceptional life cycle
capabilities. Thus, high charge and discharge events can be buffered by the
ultracapacitor bank, essentially filtering and isolating the battery module from
such loads. The net effect of which is a battery module that requires less Figure 1. Lithium-air Mechanics
maintenance and exhibits full range capabilities over an extended battery lifetime ultimately providing greater range and lower vehicle
costs.
One of the most promising emerging technologies in the field of energy storage is metal-air batteries. Lithium-oxygen batteries have
attracted significant attention in recent year due to their enormous implications for the electric vehicle industry. Lithium-oxygen
batteries consist of a metal anode, in this case a lithium based anode, and an oxygen cathode. The cathode is typically comprised of
a graphene lattice construct to support the particle reactions between the oxygen and lithium. The lithium ions are released from the
anode as a redox reaction product and move through the electrolyte to the cathode where they react with oxygen. This process
generates the battery’s moving charge1. Lithium-oxygen batteries have great potential for the EV market because of their high energy
density. As of 2010, lithium-oxygen battery lab tests have provided energy densities of 362Wh/Kg7. This metric is 150% of the energy
density of the Li-ion batteries used by Tesla Motors today. The theoretical energy density of a fully developed Lithium-air battery could
be as much as 5,200-11,140 Wh/kg, reaching comparable energy densities of gasoline1.
The greatest draw back to implementing lithium-oxygen batteries in the electric vehicle industry is their poor power density. Current
power densities both experimentally and theoretically have been measured in the mW/kg range 2. Lithium-oxygen batteries must be
supplemented with a viable power source in order to be implemented in the electric vehicle industry. Fast charging and highly efficient
ultracapacitors are capable of providing the power density that lithium-oxygen batteries lack. FastCAP Systems is currently developing
a ruggedized aluminum ultracapacitor with an anticipated power density of 50kW/kg. This capacitor is designed with high vibration
environments in mind and is capable of operating within a wide temperature range (-40⁰C to 65⁰C). Release of this product is scheduled
for Q4 or 2016.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
Hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles are now being commercialized. Toyota’s Mirai boasts a drive range of 312 miles and a refuel time
of roughly 5 minutes.3 Mercedes Benz has also committed to developing a fuel cell vehicle with their production of the B-Class F-CELL.
To illustrate this point, three different simulations were constructed based on standard driving models used to evaluate vehicle
efficiency; FTP-75, LA92, and US06. Each driving model stresses different driving environments such as urban, suburban, and highway
driving conditions. The simulation includes important car characteristics such as air drag, wheel friction, power train efficiency, power
conversion efficiency, and vehicle mass for accurate real-condition results. A vehicle mass of 2,400 lbs. was utilized with a 50kW fuel
cell. The peak power and energy given for the buffer energy storage represents the power and energy needed to augment the existing
fuel cell to meet the specified performance levels.
Max. Accel. Max. Regen. Avg. Power Peak Buffer Buffer Energy
Power [kW] Power [kW] [kW] Power [kW] [Wh]
FTP-75 61.7 16.6 6.8 11.8 32.1
LA92 86.0 59.7 9.8 36.0 212.6
US06 146.0 37.9 18.9 96.0 342.1
As shown, while the Peak Buffer Power requirements are substantial, the relatively short periods of high power driving cause the
buffer energy requirements to be very low. The table below illustrates the resulting buffer packs if they were constructed with all
NiMh batteries versus all ultracapacitors and finally as an optimized hybrid module. NiMh specifications are taken from Toyota’s
current NiMh cell used in the Mirai battery back at 2kW/kg and 23.8Wh/kg. Ultracapacitor specifications are taken from FastCAP’s EEx
ultracapacitor at 50kW/kg and 6.6Wh/kg.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
40
Mass [kg]
32.1
30
18
20 15.4
9.2
10 6 4.8
1.4
0
FTP-75 LA92 US06
The calculations above demonstrate that in each driving model, the NiMh pack is sized for the necessary power requirements while
the ultracapacitor pack was sized for energy requirements. Furthermore, the resulting excess energy and power in each case is
substantial, providing strong evidence that a battery / ultracapacitor hybrid power buffer will result in both increased performance
and higher overall system efficiency. This is shown in the final column, illustrating an optimized hybrid module. Power and energy
specifications are met for each profile with significant reductions in mass across each driving model.
Hybrid solutions include some additional complexity in power management as ultracapacitors and batteries must be handled
appropriately for best performance. However, an all-ultracapacitor power buffer based on FastCAP’s wide temperature range
technology would require little to no thermal management with significantly increased life cycle and would thus represent a low-
complexity solution compared to an all-battery power buffer.
FastCAP’s ruggedized ultracapacitor has the potential for extraordinary size, weight, and cost savings when paired with fuel cell and
battery buffer systems.
Full electrification of drivetrains is increasingly a requirement in closed space, for instance, airport tarmacs and commercial
warehouses. Those material handling vehicles may be powered from batteries or fuel cells and will be subject to transient behavior
such as frequent stopping and starting and even lift actuation in the case of fork lifts and
robotic movers. Coupling ultracapacitors with the primary sources in those applications
can enable substantial cost and size reductions and improved performance.
The same concepts transfer to heavy duty and construction equipment where vehicle-
based actuators such as lifts, and compactors require short-duration high power not easily
provided by the primary source or even a combustion engine. FastCAP’s technology may
solve major complexity and cost problems by providing frequent torque or power assist
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
functionality. Generally, these systems may be exposed to harsh conditions, making FastCAP’s semi-rugged design an important value-
add.
In cases where a vehicle is designed for limited range but high power requirements,
incorporating ultracapacitors into the energy storage is shown to increase overall
vehicle efficiency5. This is caused by the necessity to size the battery module for the
required power ultimately creating a battery that is oversized for the required energy.
Examples of such vehicles include low range municipal vehicles such as garbage trucks,
construction equipment, as well as motorcycle and scooter platforms. Foster City, CA
based company Motiv is founded on electrifying heavy vehicles 6. Through the
incorporation of ultracapacitors, the hybrid power train can be optimized for the
vehicle range and power requirements, ultimately reducing the cost, size, and weight Figure 3. Chicago's fist E-Garbage Truck
of the vehicle while improving efficiency and market availability. by Motive
FastCAP is internally invested in scaling up this technology by way of outsource manufacturing partners and licensing arrangements.
Structural energy storage can be implemented in vehicular systems with benefits in weight and mass reduction or “dual-use.”
Figure 41 illustrates the replacement of inactive vehicle materials such as car body paneling to address these performance metrics.
This reconfiguration can provide additional power and energy to the electric powertrain as well as auxiliary electrical systems. As
indicated, this reconfiguration may also lower the overall weight of
the vehicle through replacement of some of the steel paneling with
composite materials.
1
http://arpa-e.energy.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/CSESS%20Asp.pdf
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
Table 1 lists several ultracapacitor manufacturers and compares their respective technological level with respect to a common form
factor.
In 2015, over 560,000 plug-in electric vehicles were sold world-wide [1], amounting to roughly 6.4% percent of the 87.5 million cars
sold according to IHS Automotive [2] With electric plug-in vehicles still relatively small combined to traditional gasoline and gasoline
hybrid vehicles, manufacturers are turning to new technologies to increase efficiency while keeping vehicle costs low. Such technology
includes start-stop systems and electric turbochargers. Both of these applications require electric energy storage in order to operate.
Traditional car batteries cannot offer the lifetime, energy, and power required for efficiency operation. As such, new energy storage
technology suitable for the under-the-hood environment is required.
Supercapacitors can be used as a high power, wide temperature range energy buffer in a variety of automotive architectures and
applications to support heavy pulsed loads and extreme or cold temperatures. Examples of these use-cases include start-stop, DC
buss voltage stabilization and cold-cranking.
Traditional electric vehicles contain large battery packs that often carry with them
complex and high performance thermal management systems (TMS) to
accommodate the narrow operating range of the battery modules. Without the
incumbent battery TMS, gasoline vehicles designers must consider the
environment in which to place electric energy storage. Placing storage closest to
the point of power delivery, be it a starter motor, turbocharger, or cabin
electronics, provides incentives of increased efficiency, smaller and lighter wiring
harnesses, easier repair and maintenance, and overall lower complexity. In this
case, placing electric storage under the hood is the ideal solution but the
environment brings challenges
to traditional energy storage.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
Ultracapacitors are also susceptible to damage from over-heating. Typical ultracapacitors are rated from -40°C to +65°C. While
cyclability of ultracapacitors is very high, lifetime at high voltage and temperature is typically only rated for 1500 hours [5]. Similarly,
supercapacitors see an expontential decrease in lifetime at temperature; typically every increase of 10°C results in a halving of
expected lifetime in hours at high voltage and temperature.
Operating above the maximum rated temperature can result in rapid irrecoverable performance degredation including significantly
reduced capacitance, increased resistance, as well as violent venting of the cells. Repeated high power loads, commonly seen in micro-
hybrid applications, cause additional internal cell heating to further reduce the temperature ceiling. Maxwell Technologies
recommends keeping the ambient temperature below 40°C to reduce the risk of over-heating. [6]
FastCAP ultracapacitors, on the other hand, are designed to accommodate much higher operating temperatures enabling longer
lasting and higher performance systems.
The above plot shows FastCAP’s range of high temperature energy storage solutions. Considering an under-the-hood temperature of
65°C (150°F), typical ultracapacitors will already have reached their maximum operating temperature without any additional internal
heating. At this operating point, severe damage to the storage is likely with high potential for cell venting. On the other hand, 65°C is
well within the operating range of FastCAP’s EE ultracapacitor line, enabling safer and higher performance systems.
START-STOP
Start-stop technology turns off the engine while the vehicle is at rest to avoid excessive inefficient idle operation. It is estimated that
70% of all vehicles in North America will incorporate start-stop technology [7]. Driving studies have shown that typical driving patterns
can result in more than 250 start/stop events per day, with 95% of drivers experiencing less than 73 start/stop sequences per day.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
Additionally, 95 percent of cars will require less than 56Wh of energy at roughly 6kW peak power to drive the start motor. [7] Hence,
vehicle designs are targeting 200,000 to 300,000 start/stops over the course of the vehicle lifetime.
For such applications, Advanced Lead-Acid Batteries (AGM) as well as Li-Ion batteries are suitable but AGM batteries show relatively
short lifetimes and the stress of cold-starting and repeated cycles may require more expensive lithium technology, such as Lithium
Titanium Oxide. However, the high power and low energy profile of the start/stop load is favorable to a supercapacitor technology or
battery / supercapacitor hybrid technology.
A number of hybrid architectures make use of chemical batteries for traction and recovery, but tradeoffs in the design may lead to
insufficient performance at very low temperature, repetitive high power pulsed load profiles, or interaction among coincident but
unrelated power draw from the drive train and hotel loads. Supercapacitors can relax the design constraints on an otherwise over-
constrained system design and ultimately provide the reliability and performance that the end-user expects. For example, a traditional
lead acid battery would support DC loads, such as air conditioning, radio, power electronics, etc. while the capacitor bank support high
power start/stop applications. Meanwhile, the supercapacitor can provide power at low temperature (<-30°C) where the battery
performance may suffer substantially.
Turbocharger technology is making a comeback in the automotive market for its ability to reduce the size and weight of the engine
while maintaining the high power and torque of a larger engine. One of the primary issues with turbochargers is that the power gain
comes at higher RPMs, leaving the engine struggling at lower RPMs. The supercharger gets around this issue by being driven directly
from the engine but the net result is an overall reduction in fuel efficiency.
A possible solution to both issues is the electric turbocharger or electric supercharger. The basic premise is to use an electric motor to
assist the turbocharger at the lower RPMs effectively removing turbo lag and relieving the engine from needing to drive a traditional
supercharger. Regeneration can be used to augment electric generation to prevent additional engine alternator loading.
Similar to the start/stop profile, electric turbochargers and superchargers would be used frequently throughout the normal drive cycle
with a high peak power and relatively low energy requirements making them suitable candidates for capacitive energy storage.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
Costs associated with server farms can be primarily categorized into downtime, power
consumption, and maintenance. To prevent downtime, server farms employ a UPS
system that turns on in the event of a brown out or complete power outage. Brown outs
and power outages, while already present today, will be aggravated as renewables
increasingly penetrate the grid. Ultracapacitors are generally well-suited for these
applications compared to chemical batteries as the time scale of spurious power loss is
typically 0.1 to 10’s of seconds. For server farms and other stationary applications,
FastCAP’s technology can be deployed for “ride-through” support during the changeover
between power sources. FastCAP’s technology can also serve as a distributed “micro UPS”
for instance, per server blade or per chip to enhance reliability in brown out ride through or power glitch conditions. In both cases,
the peak power capability is key quickly providing the necessary power to enable volatile information backup while energy sources
are transferred.
The table below shows the peak power capability of modern NiMH chemistry, known for high reliability and power capabilities over
Lithium-Ion technology, compared to FastCAP’s ultracapacitor portfolio.
The key advantage of FastCAP’s ultracapacitor technology compared to other ultracapacitor technology is that they’ve been
ruggedized over a wide range of temperature enabling less maintenance and higher performance. To decrease costs for cooling, server
farms may be run at a higher ambient temperature thereby reducing typical cooling requirements. The effect of which is that each
server will run hotter, especially on-board where local board level and chip level backup supplies are best utilized. As higher power
servers are employed with less ambient cooling, board level temperature can exceed 65°C. Typical ultracapacitors show significant
degradation in both capacity and lifetime at high temperature. FastCAP’s ultracapacitors maintain high capacity and long lifetime at
temperatures well in excess of 100°C. The result is less maintenance and higher performance backup energy storage in the increasingly
demanding high temperature server environment.
The table above represents the operating temperatures of modern ultracapacitors from two prominent manufacturers. As listed in
the specification sheet, when operated at the maximum temperature and nominal voltage levels, lifetime of the ultracapacitor is rated
at 1,500 hours. Significant lifetime extensions are possible by operating the ultracapacitor well below its maximum temperature,
justifying capacitors rated for higher temperature.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
The plot below shows lifetimes at maximum voltage over operating temperature. Thus, the effect on ultracapacitor lifetime can mean
the difference between a <1 year or >10 year maintenance schedule.
FastCAP’s ultracapacitors are can provide the pulsed power needed to pitch wind turbine blades under high-wind conditions. This is
a necessary feature to make wind turbines practical and safe. In this instance, the cost to maintain the power system is very high as
these systems are remote and difficult to access. FastCAP’s semi-rugged, high performance technology reduces cost of ownership in
this application by virtue of its high reliability, long cycle life, and ruggedization inherited from aerospace and defense technologies.
RIDE-THROUGH SUPPORT
Power providers have to will increasingly look for methods for changing hands among multiple
power source as renewables increasingly penetrate the grid and they must contend with
intermittency associated with wind and solar. Ultracapacitors are generally well-suited for
supporting short time-scale highly transient ride through events either between multiple
baseload sources or between baseload and reserve. In the case of spinning reserves, the
generator can take seconds to minutes to respond. In the case of fuel cells, transient response
can be tenths of seconds to seconds to reach full capacity. FastCAP’s ultracapacitors are
particularly well-suited when these systems are remote and difficult or expensive to maintain. When they are exposed to harsh
conditions, FastCAP’s solution further reduces cost of ownership by virtue of its semi-rugged design.
Microgrids are becoming increasingly popular to support remote operations in energy, military, and residential applications. Industrial
microgrids often must contend with large transient loads and intermittent power supplies. Storage technology is advancing to support
microgrids as an energy buffer, supplying needed power to the grid and filtering variations and in the energy supply and demand.
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Automotive and Stationary (Grid) Technology
Ultracaps have their place in microgrids by enabling higher power transients and extending battery lifetimes through absorbing
damaging high power transients. Such hybrid storage modules enable long lasting, high-performance storage to support microgrid
operations for years without service or degradation. FastCAP’s ultracapacitors offer the performance, harsh environment, and high
reliability necessary to keep storage and maintenance costs low for practical implementation.
REFERENCES
[1] "Energy.gov," Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2016. [Online]. Available: http://energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-
918-march-28-2016-global-plug-light-vehicle-sales-increased-about-80-2015. [Accessed 02 June 2016].
[2] IHS Automotive, "2015 Global Automotive Forecast - What Really Happened?," IHS Automotive, 2016.
[5] Maxwell Technologies, "DATASHEET K2 ULTRACAPACITORS - 2.85V/3400F," Maxwell Technologies, San Diego, CA, 2015.
[6] Maxwell Technologies, "Product Guide - BOOSTCAP Ultracapacitors," Maxwell Technologies, San Diego, CA, 2009.
[7] O. G. C. B. B. C. J. B. J. D. J. N. Harshad Tataria, "USABC Development of 12 Volt Battery for Start-Stop Application," in Internal
Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Vehicle Electric Vehicle Symposium, Barcelona, Spain, 2013.
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