Nice update!

 

Thank you - makes sense to add it to any electrical system.

 

Update November 2017

In October my alternator started to behave badly, it cooked the battery and was eventually recognized through the battery light on the dash due to high voltage. Upon replacing the alternator, I discovered some no name brand 140amp alternator that was not original. The replacement came from Ford at 220amp which is the high output single alternator for the F450. Registered 14.6v at install and going strong ever since.

So currently I have a no name group 65 on drivers side with some 800cca, and my enhanced ultracapacitor bank on the passenger side at 1800cca. It works very well.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...f450-6-4l.html

 

An observation on the initial charge and the concept of balancing.

This image shows all the ultracapacitors connected in parallel for the the initial charge, I think I took them all to 2.3v - then I unbolted everything and reconfigured into two banks of six ultracapacitors in series.

My observations:

- With the initial charge in configuration of series, the result is that the individual ultracapacitors will follow a bell curve of varied voltages across the ultracapacitors. As an example: 2.3v, 2.1v, 1.9v, 1.9v 2.1v, 2.3v

- With the initial charge in configuration of parallel, the result is that the individual ultracapacitors are all the same voltage across the ultracapacitors. As an example: 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v

The difference is that the total energy available is higher when the initial charge is done in parallel. A significant observation is that over time the consumption/replenishment of the charge follows the pattern of the initial charge.

So after 40,000 miles, my ultracapacitor bank that was initially charged in parallel is still 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v, 2.3v with no balancing circuits between the ultracapacitors.

I observed the same thing with the ultracapacitor bank that was initially charged in series, it kept the bell curve across the individual ultracapacitors over time and consumption/replenishment.

Lesson learned is to conduct the initial charge with all ultracapacitors in parallel to achieve equal voltages across the individual ultracapacitors for maximum joules available.

 

Full year into this and some really cold nights. Truck starts on first touch of the key regardless of outside temps, coldest I’ve seen this year was 9F.

 

I have sold my truck and transferred the ultra-capacitor bank to a gasoline powered vehicle, and I replaced the concept of a second battery with a Super small 12v Duracell AGM $25 battery. I figure I can replace the Duracell every spring, after winter has torchured the battery. So now I have 1800+5 CCA on a 5l gas motor and it keeps 13.8v thanks to the Duracell - smiles and laughter!

 

Thanks for posting all of this, definitely a different take on a battery

maybe one day, I'll be brave enough to try to make one myself