Maxwell’s Heavy Transportation Module receives type approval from UK VCA
20 March 2011
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. announced that the North American office of the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) has granted European Economic Community (EEC)-Type Approval and Conformity of Production (CoP) clearance to Maxwell’s 125-volt Heavy Transportation Module (HTM125) series of ultracapacitor modules.
Maxwell’s HTM125 is a high performance energy storage and power delivery product line for hybrid buses and trucks, trolleys and other light rail vehicles, mining and construction equipment and seaport cranes. All HTM products incorporate balancing, monitoring and thermal management capabilities to ensure industry-leading charge/discharge performance, high reliability and long operational life.
The EEC-Type Approval certifies that Maxwell’s HTM125 complies with the EEC vehicle electromagnetic compatibility requirements of Council Directive 72/245/EEC as last amended by Commission Directive 2009/19/EC and ECE Regulation 10.03. The HTM125 was tested to ensure immunity to radiated and conducted disturbances for functions related to direct control of vehicles, and compliance with requirements regarding control of unwanted radiated and conducted emissions to the intended use of electrical or electronic equipment in the installed or adjacent vehicles.
The associated Conformity of Production clearance certifies that Maxwell’s internal production and documentation control systems, procedures and practices comply with EEC requirements to ensure consistent manufacturability of the HTM125.
Several European heavy vehicle and equipment manufacturers and hybrid and electric drive system integrators are designing the HTM125 into braking energy recuperation and torque-assist systems for greener, more energy-efficient products. The EEC-Type Approval and CoP clearance demonstrate that Maxwell’s procurement, production and documentation control processes meet the rigorous industry standards that our customers demand.
— David Schramm, Maxwell president and CEO
This is an interesting approach. Some recent ultra caps have reached higher energy density of about 30 Wh/Kg. Lab units are getting closed to 85 Wh/Kg. Their ruggedness, very quick charge-discharge capabilities, very high power handling and almost unlimited cycles potential make them the storage units of choice for many applications.
Could become part of a superior e-storage unit when combined with a very high energy density battery pack.
Posted by: HarveyD | 20 March 2011 at 07:46 AM
"hybrid buses and trucks, trolleys and other light rail vehicles"
It sounds like they have their applications well defined. Companies like AFS Trinity may have some patents, but that should not stop innovation.
Posted by: SJC | 20 March 2011 at 09:22 AM
Why has Maxwell neglected to quote any capacitance or energy and power density values?
In ACS Publications, ref. is made to labratory results =/>
85 Wh/kg. This is just the beginning. Definite improvement that can be made will at least double or triple this achieved lab value.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl102661q
Posted by: yoatmon | 20 March 2011 at 11:05 AM