What is UltraBattery^®?

UltraBattery^® is a hybrid, long-life lead-acid energy storage device. It combines the fast charging rates and longevity of an ultracapacitor technology with the energy storage potential of a lead-acid battery technology in a hybrid device with a single common electrolyte.

UltraBattery® combines the advantages of two energy storage technologies in a single cell.

UltraBattery^® is highly efficient in a continuous Partial State of Charge (PSoC) operation: neither totally full, nor totally empty. Conventional valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, when used for renewable support, are typically operated in a top of range cycling pattern and quickly fail if operated in the PSoC range.

Unlike conventional VRLA batteries, which need to be frequently refreshed (equalized), UltraBattery^® can run for longer between refreshes, and so has less downtime. It is also capable of far more charge–discharge cycles than conventional VRLA batteries – meaning a longer battery life.

UltraBattery® is the new dimension in lead-acid battery technology, forming a new part of the lead-acid battery market.

How UltraBattery^® Works

During normal lead-acid battery operation, lead sulphate crystals grow on the negative electrode during discharging and dissolve during charging. Over time – in a process called sulphation – some crystals can become larger and resist being dissolved, increasing the battery’s internal resistance, and decreasing its power, capacity and efficiency.

The ultracapacitor integrated in the UltraBattery^® inhibits this sulphation process, and allows the battery to operate with high efficiency in a Partial State of Charge.

Over time, electrolysis (splitting of water in the electrolyte into oxygen and hydrogen gas) leads to corrosion of a lead-acid battery’s positive plate, and also causes the battery to dry out, degrading performance.

Electrolysis occurs less frequently at a lower State of Charge. This means that UltraBattery^® used in a Partial State of Charge also experiences less corrosion of the positive electrode and dries out more slowly than conventional VRLA batteries.

These characteristics combined enable UltraBattery^® to outperform in its ability to process more energy in variable power applications.

UltraBattery® ability to operate in a Partial State of Charge (PSoC) gives it the ability to process more energy over a longer time than conventional valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries when used in variable power applications.

UltraBattery® operates at a much higher efficiency in a partial state of charge than conventional valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries used in top of charge cycling regimes.