Improved Electrochemical Capacitor Performance through Modeling, Chemical Modification and Electrode Design

电化学电容器(ECs)是一种能量存储系统，用于短时间、高强度的功率爆发，例如安全气囊的展开，填补了电池和电容器之间的关键性能差距。这项研究计划利用我们在电化学、气孔、碳和锰氧化物方面的专业知识：了解减缓EC响应和浪费能源的电荷传输机制；识别阻碍电荷存储的关键反应；以及开发保持高功率但不需要频繁充电的材料。该计划的成功将带来新的EC诊断/模型、更好的设计材料以及从救命心脏起搏器到电动汽车等消费设备的性能改进。主题1探讨了电极中的电荷移动与EC性能(能量、功率、效率)之间的关系。在真实电极数据的指导下，我们使用计算机模拟和硬件电路来帮助我们可视化系统中的电荷运动，这在真实电极中是不可能的。这使我们能够设计更高功率的材料，并解释重要的EC行为。然后，新的设计被转化为具有改进的结构和性能的真实电极，例如主题3中的那些。主题2的重点是识别可能窃取电荷或损坏EC的寄生化学和物理过程。对于许多常见的和新兴的EC材料(碳、金属氧化物、聚合物)，对这些过程的研究还处于初级阶段，部分原因是缺乏有效的诊断。利用我们在开发急需的诊断方法和确定关键EC反应方面的近20年专业知识，我们缓解了这些寄生反应，从而减少了能源浪费、延长了保质期和减少了EC更换。主题3解决了广泛使用EC的一个关键障碍；尽管它们具有出色的功率性能，但它们的能量很低，需要频繁充电。我们的新型电极结构将高能材料放置在高功率电极的选定部分上，保留了两者的优点。计算机建模将模拟这些材料的最佳位置。化学和电化学合成将把这些结构转化为用于EC实施的真实电极。这些创新电极设计的成功将是变革性的，提供对EC功率和能量的可调控制；调整EC以匹配精确的设备要求意味着更少的材料浪费(提高环境可持续性)、消费设备中更低的体积/重量和更广泛的潜在应用。作为许多EC材料的全球十大生产国，加拿大将受益于EC性能的提高，从而使EC在商业设备中得到更广泛的使用。该计划将为我们不断增长的能源行业提供接触到急需的高技能人员的途径，这些人员了解具有重要技术意义的材料的基础科学，并拥有结合EC材料建模和实验室测试的独特技能。

Electrochemical capacitors (ECs) are energy storage systems used for short high-intensity power bursts, e.g. airbag deployment, and fill a critical performance gap between batteries and capacitors. This research program capitalizes on our expertise in electrochemistry, pores, carbon and manganese oxide to: understand charge transport mechanisms that slow EC response and waste energy; identify key reactions that hinder charge storage; and develop materials that maintain high power but need less frequent recharging. Success in this program will lead to new EC diagnostics/models, better-designed materials and improved performance in consumer devices ranging from life-saving pacemakers to electric vehicles. Theme 1 explores how charge movement through electrodes relates to EC performance (energy, power, efficiency). Guided by data from real electrodes, we use computer simulation and hardware circuits to help us visualize charge movement in a system, which is not possible in a real electrode. This allows us to design higher-power materials and explain important EC behaviours. The new designs are then translated into real electrodes with improved structure and performance, such as those in Theme 3. Theme 2 focuses on identifying parasitic chemical and physical processes that can steal charge or damage an EC. For many common and emerging EC materials (carbon, metal oxides, polymers) the research into these processes is in its infancy, in part due to a lack of effective diagnostics. Using our almost two decades of expertise in developing much-needed diagnostics and identifying key EC reactions, we mitigate these parasitic reactions, resulting in less energy-waste, longer shelf-life and fewer EC replacements. Theme 3 addresses a key barrier to widespread EC use; despite their excellent power performance, their energy is low, necessitating frequent recharging. Our novel electrode architectures position high energy materials on selected portions of high-power electrodes, preserving the benefits of both. Computer modelling will model optimal positioning for these materials. Chemical and electrochemical synthesis will translate these architectures into real electrodes for EC implementation. The success of these innovative electrode designs will be transformative, giving tunable control over EC power and energy; tuning an EC to match the precise device requirements means less waste of materials (improved environmental sustainability), lower volume/weight in consumer devices and a wider range of potential applications. As a top 10 world producer of many EC materials, Canada will benefit from improved EC performance leading to a broader use of ECs in commercial devices. This program will provide our growing energy sector with access to much needed highly skilled personnel who understand the fundamental science of technologically important materials and who have a unique skill-set that combines both modelling and in-lab testing of EC materials.