Project UOC

Ultracapacitor Opportunity Charging


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Project 'Ultracapacitor Opportunity Charging' (UOC) focused on developing a fast charging system based on ultracapacitors (UC) primarily for autonomous vehicle applications. 


Bus and Charging Station

The system's versatile design also makes it suitable for other uses, such as charging public transport vehicles, automated guided vehicles in logistics, and various other applications that require frequent charging events.


Charging station


The project successfully tackled four main challenges inherent in electrified automated transport systems:

  • Long charging times for electric vehicles.
  • High-power requirements from the grid for fast charging systems.
  • Inefficient and volatile energy storage solutions (e.g., Lithium-Ion batteries) for high-power charging operations.
  • Cost of charging solutions.

To address these challenges, Skeleton developed a cost-effective, fast-charging system. This system enables high-power, quick charging for UC-based systems with minimal power grid requirements. It features automated charging for both stationary and vehicle systems, allowing for non-stop operation and pre-charging communication between the automated vehicle and the charging station. The system aims for minimal impact on the local grid and zero emissions, achieving a remarkable roundtrip efficiency of 90%. Additionally, it represents a significant cost reduction compared to existing technologies. The technology's maturity level has progressed from a desktop prototype to a demonstrator, resulting in a filed patent application. A key achievement of the project was the successful pilot demonstration of a charging system for autonomous vehicles, in collaboration with Auvetech.


 Tanel and Fred with Bus

Software engineer Fred-Georg Pääro and Senior Electrical Engineer Tanel Sinijärv were at the helm of the UOC project.


The project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and through the EU COVID-19 response instrument for a total of 1 464223 EUR.

Find out more:

White paper: Supercapacitor fast charging in urban public transportation 

White paper Supercapacitor- and SuperBattery-powered fast charging

News: Skeleton Showcases New Technology To Charge Shuttles in Seconds

 


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