Gizmodo: ultracapacitor

5.11 Tactical Series UC3.400 Flashlight Might Be the Last Torch You'll Ever Need

Jack Loftus — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

And it does it all without batteries of any kind. That is, if it ever comes to light (ugh). Slated for release in 2009, the 5.11's Light for Life UC3.400 LED flashlight uses the almost mystical power of an ultracapacitor to achieve a full 23.5-hour charge in 90 seconds. This torch is expensive at $170, but the makers promise you'll make that up and then some over the course of its 10-year lifetime.

The UC3.400 specs state the flashlight is rated for 50,000 recharges, regardless of temperature or storage conditions. Flashlight News does the math, and that comes out to one charge a day for 135 years, which is perfect given the cold, dark days the coming Singularity will bring.

Moe importantly, these stats best typical rechargeable flashlights with ease; current rechargeable flashlights begin to degrade after the first use, are affected by extreme hot and cold, and will last for just 500 to 1,000 charges.

This thing is also nigh indestructable, claims the manufacterer:

Made of a firearm-grade high-strength polymer, the 11.5" UC3.400 casing is fully sealed against the elements. It's abrasion, crack and bend-resistant. The temperature-tolerant ultracapacitors are rated at -40° F to 149° F (-40° C to 65° C). Also, the water-resistant, ruggedly built UC3.400 flashlight features solid-state construction.

[Flashlight News]

Graphene Could Become World's Best Super Battery

Elaine Chow — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:30:00 EDT

You know graphene, the super material that's strong enough to withstand diamond cutters? Turns out that not only may it replace silicon as the de rigeur component of microchips, it's on track to becoming the next megabattery as well. Engineers at the University of Texas in Austin have found a way to store electrical charge in graphene-based ultracapacitor devices, and their discovery could revolutionize the renewable energy industry.

There are two ways to store electrical energy today—through traditional rechargeable batteries or in ultracapacitors, a newer tech that runs safer, cooler, and longer. The UofT researchers think their breakthough could end up doubling the capacity of current ultracapacitors, which are made with a different, less awesome form of carbon.

If everything works out, it could give a much needed boost to solar and wind energy industries, whose main challenge right now is energy storage for when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. Beyond that, graphene ultracapacitors could end up improving the efficiency of all electrical appliances—cars, buses, trains, you name it. [Science Daily via Slashdot]

Hype Bubbling Back Up for EEStor's State-of-the-Art-Defying Battery Killer

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:45:00 EDT

The hype for EEStor's mythical battery-killing, capacitor-based technology that we've been hearing about for a while keeps coming, re-ringing promises of, for instance, a five-minute plug-in time for a car to make a 500-mile trip. Naturally, details on how EEStor has managed to accomplish a feat academics have been taking whacks at for years—sufficient insulation to create ultracapacitors that don't take up ultra-amounts of space—are scant, descriptions liberally laced with the word "proprietary."

Forgive the lack of cheerleading, but we've witnessed similarly paradigm-breaking promises of so-good-it's-like-magic energy generation fall short literally moments before they were supposed to change the world. The situations aren't so dissimilar—small company claims to miraculously surpass all past and current efforts (by "400-fold," based on the numbers they're giving, according to one scientist) but offers no hard details to back it up. This is partially understandable—trade secrets and whatnot—but where's the beef?

True, EEStor has serious backing and asserts real results on the ground by year's end in the form of one of ZENN Motor's cars. But until we hop a ride and peek under the hood, we won't be letting going of our AAs or Li-ions just yet. Engineers in the audience, what's your take? Are we in for a ride or being taken for one? [AP, Ars]