Replacing Lead-Acid Batteries with Ultracapacitors
In a few more years ultracapacitors will become a mainstream technology, alongside with established electrochemical battery energy storage. This is one of conclusions of market study Ultracapacitor Market Forecast 2015-2020. Transport segment is forecast to benefit the most from rapidly advancing ultracapacitor technology. Replacing lead-acid batteries with ultrracapacitors may prove to become a burgeoning market opportunity in the very near future.
Lead–acid batteries, invented in the middle of the 19th century, are the oldest and still the most common type of rechargeable battery providing start/stop functionality in modern cars. Lead-acid batteries have a very low energy-to-weight ratio and a low energy-to-volume ratio, yet they are capable to supply high surge currents means that the cells maintain a relatively large power-to-weight ratio. Ultracapacitor technology, approaching performance of lead-acid batteries, has many advantages like longer lifecycle and fast charging/discharging. Ultracapacitors are unique in combining start/stop and regenerative braking functionalities in one device.
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. already supplies large cells to Continental AG, a global Tier 1 auto parts supplier, for a stop-start idle elimination system introduced by PSA Peugeot Citroen in Europe for the 2011 model year.
FBI Director: Cyber Threat Will Pose The Number One Threat
FBI Director Robert Mueller said in his speech of March 1, 2012, at the RSA Cyber Security Conference: “in the not too distant future, we anticipate that the cyber threat will pose the number one threat to our country”.
In response to ever-growing cyber threat the U.S. government is increasing cyber security investments to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure. Recent reports of Market Research Media cover in details the fast growing U.S. Federal cyber security market:
- U.S. Federal Cybersecurity Market Forecast 2013-2018
- U.S. Federal IT Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Market Forecast 2013-2018
- Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): U.S. Government Market Forecast 2013-2018
Growing Demand for Ultracapacitors
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. is launchng a new ultracapacitor electrode production facility that will double the company’s current electrode capacity by year end, and is increasing internal and outsourced assembly capabilities to ensure that it can meet rapidly increasing worldwide demand for ultracapacitor products. In 2011, Maxwell and an assembly partner built and shipped more than 2 million large cell ultracapacitors, and a new large cell assembly line scheduled to come on line later this year will increase current capacity by 50 percent. Large cells are used mainly in hybrid and electric public transit vehicles for braking energy recuperation and torque assist.
“Maxwell has produced more than 20 million ultracapacitor cells since setting up initial high-volume production,” said David Schramm, the company’s president and chief executive officer. “With ultracapacitor sales having grown by more than 500 percent since 2007, we are moving aggressively to make sure we stay a step ahead of customer demand.”
According to a recent market study Ultracapacitor Market Forecast 2015-2020, the global ultracapacitor market will reach $3.5 Bln in 2020.
IBM Reaches Milestone in Bringing Closer Full-Scale Quantum Computer
Scientists at IBM Research have reached an important milestone in quantum computing device performance that may accelerate implementation of a commercial, full-scale quantum computer. IBM scientists have succeeded in reducing errors in elementary computations and retaining the integrity of quantum mechanical properties in quantum bits (qubits) – the basic units that carry information within quantum computing. IBM has chosen to employ superconducting qubits, which use established microfabrication techniques developed for silicon technology, providing the potential to one day scale up to and manufacture thousands or millions of qubits.
According to a recent market study Quantum Computing Market Forecast 2015-2020, the nascent quantum computing market will jump-start in the period 2015-20120, driven by government investments and a deep interest of defense community in harnessing quantum computing technology.
U.S. Federal Agencies Adopt Data Deduplication Technology
There is growing evidence that federal agencies are using data duplication technologies to cope with data explosion and enhance disaster recovery and continuity. While adoption of deduplication technology by the federal government is still in the very early stage, awareness of deduplication benefits is already there. Several pilot projects are nearing successful completion. A new research study U.S. Federal IT Market Forecast 2013-2018 predicts double-digit growth for data deduplication segment of the Federal IT market in 2013-2018.