[Offtopic] ultracapacitors

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

The US Patent Number, 7,033,406  <http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html>
seems to be generating much interest for ultracapacitor driven vehicles.

The Age says.. " sounds like a death knell for the internal combustion 
engine ... meaning, a motorist could plug in a car for five minutes and 
drive 500 miles" <http://www.theage.com.au/news/breaking-news/texas-
startup-says-it-has-batteries-beat/2007/09/04/1188783194245.html>
--

US Patent Number, 7,033,406:
 
Electrical-energy-storage unit (EESU) utilizing ceramic and integrated-
circuit technologies for replacement of electrochemical batteries 

Abstract

An electrical-energy-storage unit (EESU) has as a basis material a high-
permittivity composition-modified barium titanate ceramic powder. This 
powder is double coated with the first coating being aluminum oxide and 
the second coating calcium magnesium aluminosilicate glass. The components 
of the EESU are manufactured with the use of classical ceramic fabrication 
techniques which include screen printing alternating multilayers of nickel 
electrodes and high-permittivitiy composition-modified barium titanate 
powder, sintering to a closed-pore porous body, followed by hot-isostatic 
pressing to a void-free body. The components are configured into a 
multilayer array with the use of a solder-bump technique as the enabling 
technology so as to provide a parallel configuration of components that 
has the capability to store electrical energy in the range of 52 kWh. The 
total weight of an EESU with this range of electrical energy storage is 
about 336 pounds. 
--

Cheers, people
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia