Moderator  Sam Davis speaks to  John M. Miller, Ph.D., of  Maxwell about supercapacitors / ultracapacitors -- a very timely topic as ultracaps make their way into more applications and as more ultracap suppliers enter the field.

Session Abstract: There is growing awareness that electrochemical energy storage alone cannot meet the demanding commercial, industrial and vehicle applications and still retain design targets for cycle and calendar life.  In all these applications the capability of advanced chemistry battery power capability rolls-off at cold temperatures and the negative influence of deep discharging on cycle life and thermal instability initiated by high rates contribute to reduced cycle and calendar life. This talk looks at these trends, makes an assessment of electrochemical storage systems and proposes that optimized energy and power components make more sense than further compromise in battery only energy storage systems, especially for combination architectures that decouple energy storage system energy and power.

Speakers

John Miller joined Maxwell in December 2005, assuming primary responsibility for world wide applications engineering that includes development of Maxwell University training for field application engineers.  He remains active in the development and promotion of ultracapacitor-based solutions for the automotive and heavy vehicle industries. Previously, he spent 20 years in a series of engineering and research and development positions with the Ford Motor Company, where he led several Ford automotive electronics and electric and hybrid drive train development programs before taking early retirement in 2002. Immediately prior to joining Maxwell, he spent three years as an industry consultant, author and guest lecturer. He holds 52 patents and has written more than 150 scientific and technical papers and three books, including Hybrid Vehicle Propulsion Systems, which was published in 2003. He holds a BS degree from the University of Arkansas, an MS degree from Southern Methodist University and a doctorate from Michigan State University, all in electrical engineering.  He has nearly 30 years experience as a registered professional engineer.

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