Redox Engineering, LLC

Mission: To sponsor seminars to discuss the development of electrochemical double layer capacitors and hybrid energy storage devices and provide an update on the current status and potential applications of these devices.

2011 Seminar Sponsors

21st International Seminar on Double Layer Capacitors
& Hybrid Energy Storage Devices

December 5 - 7, 2011

Note: This was the 2011 Seminar Tutorial Program

Seminar Tutorials

Two individual tutorials are being offered on the Monday morning prior to the start of the formal seminar. Seminar participants can sign up for one or both of these tutorials by selecting them when registering online. Workbooks are provided to the tutorial participants covering the material presented by the speakers. Following the tutorial presentations, any remaining workbooks and past workbooks can be purchased by ordering them through the Seminar Proceedings page.

2011 SEMINAR TUTORIAL #1 (08:30 - 10:00)

Exploitation of Highly-Reversible Electrical Energy Storage: A tutorial on the use of Electrochemical Capacitor Technology for Energy Conservation, Utility Grid Regulation and Bulk Energy Storage

John R. Miller, JME Inc. Shaker Heights, OH, USA

Description:

Electrochemical capacitors (ECs), sometimes called supercapacitors or ultracapacitors, are receiving increased attention for use in power sources of many applications because they offer extraordinarily high reversibility, provide unexcelled power density, and have exceptional cycle-life. Combination systems, for example ones with batteries and capacitors, IC engines and capacitors, and fuel cell with capacitors are now appearing and being used to increase the energy efficiency of vehicles and industrial equipment like fork lifts and overhead cranes by capturing energy that is normally wasted. Systems developed specifically for grid power quality applications are now appearing. This tutorial is targeted at technologists interested in understanding and exploiting electrochemical capacitor technology. Basics are first covered that describes the nature and significance of electric double layer charge storage, the general design of such products, and the similarities and differences between these devices and traditional capacitors and batteries. Two-terminal electrical response is discussed and used to develop equivalent circuit models. Power/energy behavior and tradeoffs are presented along with reliability design. Many example applications are covered in detail.  The goal of the tutorial is to provide basic understanding, necessary tools, and sufficient operating information to allow direct and successful exploitation of EC technology.

 Audience:

This tutorial has been developed to resonate with both technical and business attendees.  It should provide benefits to those just beginning to have involvement in energy storage to those having advanced degrees with extensive involvement and wishing to learn the latest applications and technology for highly-reversible energy storage.  A clear and detailed understanding will be gained by all of differences between the various energy storage technologies.

 About the Instructor

John R. Miller, President of JME, has more than 25 years of experience in research, development, commercialization, evaluation, testing, and modeling of capacitor technologies, products, and systems. Since founding JME in 1989, he has assisted in the development and market introduction of several electrochemical capacitor products now available for commercial, military, and medical applications. Dr. Miller was a pioneer in the development of third-generation electrochemical capacitor technology, and he advanced the development of several asymmetric capacitor systems. He has assisted material suppliers in creating products having enhanced performance capabilities for capacitors and assisted DOE in establishing appropriate test methods and evaluation procedures for large, high-power capacitors.  Dr. Miller has published more than 50 capacitor-related papers, prepared many government reports, and been awarded 10 US patents. He has organized and chaired international conferences on electrochemical capacitor technology and taught short courses at Electrochemical Society and IEEE meetings. In addition to his position with JME, Inc., Dr. Miller holds a part-time appointment as Researcher Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Case Western Reserve University. He has previously held positions as research manager at SOHIO, staff scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester, and staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory. John R. Miller holds BS and PhD degrees in physics from MIT.

2011 SEMINAR TUTORIAL #2 (10:15 - 11:45)

Updated DLC Market Outlook

Rud Istvan, NanoCarbons LLC, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Description:

Reputable EDLC market forecasts vary more than 3:1. As with any new technology, system understanding takes time to develop. Past battery oriented perspectives have not adequately accounted for system level EDLC opportunities. EDLC may have previously over-promised in difficult, slow to develop applications like vehicles. This tutorial reviews existing projections, underlying market drivers, and present commercial system realities to project EDLC potential. The tutorial builds on an initial analysis done two years ago for this Conference. It concludes EDLC markets will be much larger in the next decade than projected elsewhere. The tutorial is based on independently verifiable publicly available information, and is intended to provide a methodological roadmap for those wishing to develop their own forecasts.

Audience:

This tutorial has been developed for a non-technical audience. However, there are numerous specific technical examples that suggest possible future development directions. These should be of interest to EDLC technologists (and to their battery/systems counterparts).

About the Instructor

Rud Istvan is the principal of NanoCarbons LLC, which has developed improved energy/power density carbon materials for EDLC. These materials are now going into pilot production. Prior to founding NanoCarbons LLC in 2005, he was a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and headed two of its global practices (15 years). He was subsequently the corporate entrepreneur and Director of the Worldwide Strategy Offices at Motorola (10 years), where he started several successful businesses that collectively provided over $1 billion in new revenue by 2001. He has been the Chairman and CEO of Third Stream Bioscience (6 years), a private company he founded to acquire and commercialize a topical antimicrobial technology developed by P&G. He serves on the Board of Directors of NextGen Solar, a potentially revolutionary approach to solar cells being developed in co-operation with the Argonne National Lab. He holds 12 issued plus 13 pending patents in four different application areas including RFID, wireless patient monitoring, topical antimicrobials, and electrocarbons, He is a graduate of Harvard University (BA, JD/MBA) and the author of a forthcoming book, Gaia, partly addressing US energy policies.