Ultracapacitors – Technology Overview

http://www.maxwell.com/ultracapacitors/support/overview.html

Ultracapacitors are an innovative energy storage technology ideally suited for applications needing repeated bursts of power for fractions of a second to several minutes. They pack up to 100 times the energy of conventional capacitors and deliver ten times the power of ordinary batteries.

To make power available when needed by the application, the ultracapacitor "caches" power from any energy source. This power is then discharged from the ultracapacitor at rates demanded by the application. The ultracapacitor can be repeatedly charged and discharged at rates optimized for the application.

Using ultracapacitors for power bursts maximizes the life and efficiency of the system's energy source. The ultracapacitor allows the entire system to be tailored to optimally meet both power and energy requirements.