Maxwell Technologies Inc. (Maxwell) has received purchase orders with a total value of around $13.5 million from three China's transit bus producers for BOOSTCAP ultracapacitor modules, 48-volt BMOD0165 P048. The ultracapacitor modules are to support braking energy recuperation and torque assist functions in diesel-electric hybrid transit buses. The deliveries of these ultracapacitor modules have already started and will continue through the balance of 2009.
Maxwell’s sales and applications engineering teams and heavy vehicle OEMs in China are working together for the last two years. The company anticipates that over 150 hybrid buses with BOOSTCAP ultracapacitor-based energy storage systems already are in service, and that number is now likely to grow to nearly 1,000 by year-end 2009.
‘Ultracapacitors’ efficiency in recapturing energy from braking and their low maintenance requirements and long operational life make them an ideal energy storage solution for the demanding duty cycles of electric and hybrid transit vehicles,’ said David Schramm, Maxwell’s president and chief executive officer. ‘BOOSTCAP modules have demonstrated reliable performance and high efficiency in the first wave of vehicles that have gone into service, and the ability to connect these modules in series to meet various voltage requirements allows for easy integration into virtually any type or size of heavy vehicle.
‘China’s leading bus OEMs have developed an array of electric and hybrid drive systems for cleaner, more efficient, transit buses, trolleys and other commercial vehicles,’ Schramm said. ‘Working with a number of them has given Maxwell a better understanding of the requirements of the heavy vehicle industry and enabled us to expand our presence in the dynamic and rapidly growing Chinese market.
‘BOOSTCAP modules meet transportation industry requirements for watt-hours of energy storage and watts of power delivery per kilogram, and are designed to perform reliably through one million or more deep discharge cycles, or about 10 years of operational life for most vehicles,’ Schramm added. ‘These attributes make them a preferred energy storage option for many types of public transit and commercial vehicles, so heavy vehicle applications are becoming a major driver for global growth in BOOSTCAP product sales.’
BMOD0165 P048 modules are enclosed in a rugged, splash-proof, aluminum chassis. They weigh 14.2kg and are 12.6 liters in volume (416.2mm x 190.1mm x 156.7mm). These durable ‘smart boxes’ include temperature and voltage monitoring and internal cell voltage management that give designers ‘plug and play’ solutions and makes them versatile building blocks for systems with higher voltage requirements.
Maxwell is a US-based developer and manufacturer of cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions.