FastCAP Systems’ Extreme Environment Ultracapacitors Work to Power Cube Satellites
Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 22, 2016 -- FastCAP Systems continues to push the boundaries of ultracapacitor use in the aerospace sector as it develops technology under another SBIR Phase I award from NASA, this time focusing on cube satellites. FastCAP’s cutting edge ultracapacitor technology is well-suited for space missions, providing wide-temperature energy storage that is ruggedized and hermetically sealed. The award, entitled Ultracapacitor Based Power Supply for CubeSats, proposes an ultracapacitor based hybrid power supply (HPS) that will dramatically reduce the size and weight of conventional high power energy storage solutions while increasing power handling capability.
"Small satellites are extremely space limited with significant challenges in thermal management as power requirements increase to support a wider range of payloads. Our new capacitor modules are completely redesigned to meet the demanding requirements of small satellite platforms,” said Joseph Lane, FastCAP’s Director of Engineering and Principal Investigator for the NASA SBIR.
The intention of cube satellites is to provide a platform that private companies and academia can utilize for affordable space systems. Cube satellites enable the standardization, modularity, and industry required to make satellites affordable for an incredibly diverse group of engineers and scientists. They can be used as a test platform for college laboratories or as the work horse of major companies. Applications include world-wide internet, environmental protection, wild life preservation, planetary resource management including minerals and water, better weather predictions, city planning, population analytics, and more.
“FastCAP is happy to add value to a burgeoning market with its ruggedized and conformal ultracapacitor technology. We are encouraged by the trend in this market and are actively working to establish partnerships that will accelerate time to market for our ultracapacitor technology,” added John Cooley, President and CTO. FastCAP's technology is positioned to have an impact across the board including launch vehicles with turbo-electric drives, linear actuators, and small satellites, to name a few.
FastCAP Systems’ line of high temperature, ruggedized, and hermetically sealed ultracapacitors surpass the performance metrics of any on the market today. The ultracapacitors are available for sale in two different form factors and three different temperature ranges up to 150°C. For direct purchase and more information on this topic, visit http://www.fastcapsystems.com.
For more information on the Phase I SBIR Award, visit http://sbir.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/16/sbir/phase1/SBIR-16-1-S3.03-7420.html.
About FastCAP Systems:
FastCAP is an innovation driven company with a straightforward vision – to make a big impact in energy. In 2010, after six years of collaborative research at MIT by FastCAP’s co-founders, FastCAP began work under a multi-million dollar grant from the DOE ARPA-E to develop its novel ultracapacitor technology for electrified drivetrain vehicles. FastCAP was honored to receive another grant in 2011 from the DOE Geothermal Technologies Program to develop a cutting edge power system for geothermal exploration. By the conclusion of its ARPA-E program in 2014, FastCAP had achieved five validated world performance records related to the power and energy density of its cells. FastCAP has gone on to achieve additional validated world records related to its high temperature ultracapacitor technology, including the highest operating temperature. These breakthrough performance characteristics have laid the foundation for FastCAP’s unique product solutions in a wide variety of applications, from vehicles to energy and space exploration. For more information, visit http://www.fastcapsystems.com.
Katie Willgoos, FastCAP Systems, http://www.fastcapsystems.com, +1 (857) 239-7500, [email protected]
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