The Super Supercapacitor [video]

Post by lutusp » Tue, Feb 19, 2013, 5:50 PM UTC

meaty wrote: post #29

lutusp wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They have a relatively high self-discharge (or leakage depending on how you measure it) compared to say Li-ion/NiMh cells which means basically they piss capacity away slowly. Your claim is premature -- they haven't chosen an insulator yet. The graphene sheets are the conducting surfaces, not the insulating layer. Your claims are about the properties of the insulating layer between graphene sheets, which hasn't bee…

Charge leaks through the conductors as well into the connecting circuits, through the packaging and the adhesives. No insulator doesn't leak.

Post by btilly » Tue, Feb 19, 2013, 6:24 PM UTC

lutusp wrote: post #22

btilly wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not necessarily true. As http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=carbon-nano... explains, the impact that asbestos has on our lungs is a mechanical process, and will be caused by any kind of hard object about the same size. A lot of nanomaterials have the potential for creating dust in this size, including ones made of pure carbon.

Yes, but this isn't a property unique to nanomaterials -- it's a generic risk common to all materials that can produce fine, abrasive dust. My point is this doesn't represent a nanomaterial risk, it's an ordinary risk in which the source happens to be a nanomaterial. Otherwise asbestos could be classed as a nanomaterial risk after the fact. Is lunar surface material a nanomaterial? It's certainly nasty stuff and it g…

Post by lutusp » Tue, Feb 19, 2013, 7:00 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #34

jws wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about catapults, like an aircraft carrier, instead of inductive chargers? You get all your kinetic energy to road speed plus you can regeneratively charge to the limits of tire/road traction. You get the energy for at least two stops and all you need is a little someplace on the bottom of the car for the hook to engage. I'll bet intersections are more efficient too when the intersection can fire off the waiting t…

With some cheap ramps, you could get rid of the stops altogether. Have the catapult run cross traffic up to the proper speed, and then jump over the other street and land safely(?) on the other side. I've long thought that the third dimension was woefully underused in smoothing the flow of traffic through intersections.

Post by lutusp » Tue, Feb 19, 2013, 7:41 PM UTC

meaty wrote: post #36

lutusp wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your remark applies to any storage device, including batteries. So it's not an issue that sets supercapacitors apart.

That is correct and is my point.

Post by jamieb » Tue, Feb 19, 2013, 8:12 PM UTC

hwillis wrote: post #11

mpweiher wrote: post #2

Very cool tech, and the manufacturing process looks doable as well. :-) Except for us poor mac-heads, how is iTunes going to make me some Graphene?? I was a bit disappointed that there weren't any numbers in the film, so I looked them up: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/122763-graphene-supercapa... Energy density (storage capacity) does seem to be in range of Lithium Ion batteries, better than some, but still arou…

There also exist hybrid supercapacitors, which use a chemical reaction but act like capacitors. The best use of high-power capacitors is not as a replacement, its as a supplement. Current technology is not quite sufficient, but ideally it would mean that anything under a 20 minute drive could run off just the capacitor, which could(with sufficient infrastructure) charge in under a minute. It's not quite filling up on…