China's largest rolling stock manufacturer CRRC Corp. has developed a new generation of super graphene capacitors that can power electric buses with higher efficiency and for a longer period.
The train maker has produced two types of capacitors, 2.8 Volt/30,000 F and 3 Volt/12,000 F. The former can power trolley buses for up to 10 km after a one-minute charge, compared with 6 km in the previous generation. The latter one can provide enough electricity to power a tram for 6 km with only 30 seconds of charging.
The capacitors are world leaders in their arm of technology, Ruan Dianbo, deputy technical director of CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., said on Saturday.
Apart from the improvements to performance, the new products are also more energy-saving and environmentally friendly. Ruan estimated China can save 584 GWh of electricity and cut 6.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission a year if all the newly-added buses, around 60,000 a year, can be installed with the new capacitors.
Compared with traditional power storage devices, super capacitors boast shorter charging time, do not pollute and have no risk of explosion. They are widely used in electronics, rolling stocks, aviation and power generation.
