SBIR-STTR Award

In this research, EnerG2 will optimize its sol-gel derived carbon nanomaterials to produce dramatic new breakthroughs in electrode materials for advanced ultracapacitor electrodes. The company’s technology has the potential to double the energy density and triple the power performance of current ultracapacitor energy storage devices. With 1,000X the cycle life of batteries, and 100X the charge/discharge rate, ultracapacitors show great promise as energy storage devices for Soldier Power and other developing Army systems. EnerG2 will engineer our carbon precursor at the molecular level to optimize surface area and surface structure to match the ion sizes of high performing electrolytes, which will lead to energy and power densities currently not available in the industry. In addition, the synthetic nature of EnerG2’s precursors enables near-perfect carbon electrode purity. A truly pure carbon electrode will significantly reduce the risk of electrolytic breakdown at normal operating voltages. This mitigation technique will facilitate higher device operating voltages, which results in even higher energy and power density; both metrics increase with the square of device voltage. EnerG2’s process is a low-cost bulk chemical synthesis that easily scales and has already demonstrated great commercial potential.

Keywords:
Ultracapacitors, Energy Storage, Nanomaterials, Battery, Electrode, Power Density, Carbon, Supercapacitor

EnerG2, Inc. will develop prototype ultracapacitors meeting U.S. Army objectives built from our proprietary NC2-Series carbon electrode material. Our carbon is synthesized from chemically pure organic carbon precursors, and its nanostructure is engineered to specific surface area and pore structure targets. In Phase I, we established (1) feasibility of a specific synthetic route to high surface area carbons; (2) important relationships between specific surface area and pyrolytic weight loss; and (3) that the particular pore sizes of our activated carbons greatly enhance specific capacitance. These successes dictate a Phase II work plan that embraces (1) focused process optimization at three specific manufacturing stages; (2) scale-up preparations with up to eight contract manufacturing partners; and (3) delivery to the Army of ultracapacitor prototypes with energy densities > 39 Wh/kg, power densities > 57 kW/kg, and ability to withstand substantial thermal, mechanical, and electrical stresses. Implicit in our work plan is demonstration of manufacturing feasibility of NC2-Series carbon on a large scale and at low cost and assessment of best candidate military and commercial devices. EnerG2 has achieved Stage 1 commercialization and is ready to supply product to customers via an outsourced manufacturing model.

Keywords:
Ultracapacitor, Soldier Power, Energy Storage, Carbon