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

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将展示使用专有的低成本、纳米结构氮化钒（VN）电极和不对称电池结构与水电解质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，成本约为每法拉0.10美元。为了更广泛的市场接受，成本必须至少降低两倍，能量密度必须提高，以减小超级电容器的尺寸。SBIR计划的成功完成将导致下一代超级电容器的能量密度接近15 Wh/kg，比目前的技术水平高出3倍，成本比目前可用的商业设备低10倍。优异的性能和成本源于使用廉价的贱金属氮化物和氧化物，可提供高比电容，水性电解质可实现快速，高效的高功率循环，非对称电池设计可最大限度地提高操作电位窗口。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/商业潜力在于能源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，移动电话中的存储备份以及不间断电源。交通和智能电网应用代表着巨大的市场，年增长率均为30%。2009年，汽车超级电容器市场总额为5500万美元，在混合动力电动汽车需求的推动下，到2015年可能增长到2.43亿美元。在高峰负荷管理和轻轨再生制动的推动下，2015年超级电容器的智能电网市场预计将达到36亿美元。在SBIR项目期间开发的设备可以支持从化石燃料发电向碳中和发电的过渡，从而减少我国温室气体的排放和对外国能源的依赖。包括国防部在内的联邦机构也将受益，特别是在增程车辆、外骨骼系统和电磁装甲等应用方面。最后，这个项目将给密歇根大学的学生一个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.