Ultracapacitor’s have fast charging rates but their storage capacity is limited.This has limited their application in niche sectors that require high power at a rapid rate , albeit also need repetitive charging such as high power to vehicles in uphill terrains.A typical ultracapacitor consists of aluminum electrodes suspended in an electrolyte.A voltage applied to electrodes separates ions in the electrolyte which when flowing out an external circuit generate electricity.The catch however is the limited area of electrode surfaces that limits their charge storage capacity.
Research by Institute of Chemical Defense, in China, could boost ultracapacitor’s’ ability to store energy.The researchers have developed an electrode that can store twice as much charge as the activated-carbon electrodes used in current ultracapacitor. The new electrode contains flower-shaped manganese oxide nano-particles deposited on vertically grown carbon nanotubes. Preliminary research indicates that this design may deliver more power and is also more durable than conventional electrode design.
