SBIR Phase I: High Power and Energy Density VN-based Asymmetric Supercapacitors

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将证明使用专有的低成本，纳米结构的氮化钒（VN）电极和具有水性电解质的非对称电池架构来制造高能量密度超级电容器的技术可行性。目前可用的商业产品提供3-6 Wh/kg，功率密度为700 W/kg，成本为每法拉约0.10美元。成本必须降低至少两倍，以获得更广泛的市场接受度，并且提高能量密度以减小超级电容器的尺寸。成功完成拟议的SBIR计划将导致下一代超级电容器的能量密度接近15 Wh/kg，超过目前最先进的3倍，成本比目前可用的商业设备低10倍。上级性能和成本源自于使用便宜的贱金属氮化物和氧化物，其被定制为提供高比电容，能够实现快速、高效的高功率循环的水性电解质，以及最大化操作电势窗口的不对称电池设计。这种性能和成本的结合将使超级电容器在许多重要应用中的使用得到显著扩展。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于能量密度的提高和成本的降低。这些进步将使超级电容器能够用于许多储能系统的电源管理解决方案。商业应用可能包括在混合动力汽车中用于启动、加速和再生制动期间的负载均衡、移动的电话中的存储器备份以及不间断电源。交通和智能电网应用代表着每年增长30%的大型市场。2009年，汽车超级电容器市场总额为5500万美元，到2015年，由于对混合动力汽车的需求，该市场可能增长到2.43亿美元。超级电容器的智能电网市场预计在2015年将达到36亿美元，这主要是由轻轨的峰值负荷管理和再生制动驱动的。在SBIR计划期间开发的设备可以支持从化石燃料生产的电力过渡到碳中性电力，从而减少我国温室气体的产生和对外国能源的依赖。包括国防部在内的联邦机构也将特别受益于增程车辆、外骨骼系统和电磁装甲等应用。最后，该项目将为密歇根大学的学生提供参与商业化努力的机会。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the technical feasibility of using proprietary low-cost, nanostructured vanadium nitride (VN) based electrodes and an asymmetric cell architecture with aqueous electrolytes to manufacture high energy density supercapacitors. Currently available commercial products deliver 3-6 Wh/kg with power densities of 700 W/kg at a cost of ~$0.10 per Farad. The cost must be decreased by at least a factor of two for broader market acceptance, and the energy density improved to reduce the size of the supercapacitor. Successful completion of the proposed SBIR program will lead to next generation supercapacitors with energy densities that approach 15 Wh/kg, exceeding the current state of the art by a factor of 3, and costs that are as much as 10 times lower than those for currently available commercial devices. The superior performance and cost are derived from the use of inexpensive, base metal nitrides and oxides tailored to give high specific capacitance, aqueous electrolytes that enable fast, efficient high power cycling, and an asymmetric cell design that maximizes the operating potential window. This combination of performance and cost will enable significant expansion in the use of supercapacitors for a number of important applications.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project lies the improvements in energy density and reductions in cost. These advances will enable the use of supercapacitors for power management solutions for a number of energy storage systems. Commercial applications could include use in hybrid electric vehicles for load-leveling during start-up, acceleration and regenerative braking, memory back-up in mobile phones, and uninterruptible power supplies. Transportation and smart grid applications represent large markets with 30% annual growth each. The automotive supercapacitor market totaled $55M in 2009 and could grow to $243M by 2015 fueled by the demand for hybrid electric vehicles. The smart grid market for supercapacitors is forecasted to $3.6B in 2015 driven by peak-load management and regenerative braking for light rails. Devices developed during this SBIR program could support a transition from electricity produced from fossil fuels to carbon neutral electricity thus reducing our nation's production of greenhouse gases and dependence on foreign energy sources. Federal agencies including the Department of Defense will also benefit, in particular, for applications such as extended range vehicles, exoskeleton systems and electromagnetic armors. Finally, this project will give students at the University of Michigan an opportunity to participate in a commercialization effort.