MAXWELL- Good To The Last Ultracapacitor!

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stonedinvestor

Well here we go folks the pickins' are mighty thin here in the stocks section of ET.... nothing ULTRACAPACITOR MAN can't fix!

Folks I think I bottom fished off earnings an interesting name. Maxwell and I go way back to the days when their nifty new batterypack was or was not being produced in some little factory in N Korea or somewhere but now we have a real reason to own this stock. A clearly disruptive technology.

This is from Jim Jubak on MXWL he liked it at much higher prices-

On May 6, the company reported earnings of $17.3 million for the first quarter. That's an increase of 38% from the first quarter of 2007. The company still reported an operating loss for the period, but it shrank to $3.4 million from $4.5 million in the first quarter of 2007. Gross margins climbed to 30% from 29% in the fourth quarter of 2007 as the company improved manufacturing efficiency. The company's cash, a critical resource for a company that's still generating losses, fell to $28.6 million in the quarter compared with $30.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. But the most important -- and most favorable -- news came from the company's ultracapacitor business, where revenue climbed by 64% to $5.4 million from the first quarter of 2007!!!!!!!!!!

The potential for devices that can quickly store and then discharge energy in electric and hybrid cars, in wind power and in the utility grid is the future for this company. The company also announced May 6 that it would open a customer support office in Germany for European automakers and suppliers using its ultracapacitor technology. The company also reported that a big deal it had announced in the fourth quarter of 2007 -- to supply ultracapacitors to Continental, a German auto supplier, for use in a hybrid that BMW is expected to launch in the 2010 model year -- remains on schedule.

>>>The stock is acting well since my pickup and may warrant a bigger investment; it's a feel good green play... Maxwell is a member of the Hybrid Consortium, and Maxwell is included in the PowerShares Wilderhill Clean Energy ETF. Ultracapacitors are replacing or supplementing batteries in many applications from hybrids to fuel cells to automatic meter-reading devices.....
Ultracapacitors are devices that store energy but in much greater quantities than batteries. Maxwell Technologies began life in 1965 as government contractor Maxwell Laboratories. The company, headquartered in San Diego, now generates all of its revenue -- $45 million in 2005 -- from commercial customers.

For your consideration this boring ass evening - MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES

These ultracapacitors are currently used mostly in wind turbines, utility power quality applications, and other industrial applications. Wind should continue to see strong growth throughout the world, which should continue to help turbine component suppliers.

They also have the potential to be an important component for energy storage in Hybrid Electric and Electric vehicles!!!! Maxwell has recently announced a partnership with China's Tianjin Lishen Battery (who hasn't) to manufacture hybrid powerpacks, which will combine the speed, long cycle life, and low temperature performance of ultracapacitors with the large energy storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries.

This seems like right place right time for MXWL. ~ si
 
Quote from stonedinvestor:

Ultracapacitors are devices that store energy but in much greater quantities than batteries. i
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That is backwards. Ultacapacitors store much LESS energy than batteries. That is their main problem.

Their advantage is, that they can be used to store large quantities of energy almost instantaneously. And they will last almost forever, while batteries wear down with time. Thus, very good for perhaps storing and supplying braking energy for hybrid cars. Batteries charge very slowly.
 
WHAT DO WE KNOW-

Maxwell’s ultracapacitor product line should enhance the efficiency of any system that consumes or generates electricity.

Ultracapcitors are energy storage devices that have the ability to rapidly and reliably store and release power over millions of charge/discharge cycles. This is highly complimentary to sources ranging from slower discharging units such as batteries, fuel cells, and solar, to more variable sources such as regenerative braking and wind energy. Ultracapacitors afford increased flexibility to engineers designing lighter, more compact energy solutions for transportation (autos, public transit and other heavy vehicles) and utilities generating and storing quality power.
Ultracapacitors have the potential to displace batteries completely since they can be made cheaper, lighter, and more durable than lithium-ion or NIMH batteries.
 
It sounds like your point is moot. If they deliver power over many more cycles than a battery and are constantly recharged and never replaced it is so much more efficient than a battery it does not matter if initially a battery comes with a fatter charge. I imagine this is about low power apps such as computers and their sleep function and heat to be found in laptops and hand helds as much as this incredeible forray into the auto world... more on that later. And check out that gap to fill on the chart!~stoney
 
The newsflow is so good too. the big car announcement in feb and Maxwell Technologies, Inc. And NessCap Sign Memorandum of Understanding Outlining Framework for Settling Patent Disputes
May 5, 2008
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. and NessCap Co., Ltd. announced that the companies have agreed to a framework for settling the patent disputes relating to their respective ultracapacitor products and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding including a provision to immediately halt all ongoing patent infringement litigation between the companies. Proposed settlement terms will remain confidential pending final agreement and execution of definitive agreements. Some investors fretted about this lawsuit now it's gone!

Johnson Controls, Inc. And Maxwell Technologies To Collaborate In Development Of Lithium-Ion Hybrid Vehicle Batteries
April 15, 2008
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. and Johnson Controls, Inc. announced that a development collaboration through which Maxwell will produce lithium-ion battery electrodes for testing and evaluation by Johnson Controls-Saft. The electrodes for Li-Ion battery applications will incorporate Maxwell's proprietary process demonstrated in ultracapacitor applications. The collaboration will demonstrate optimized performance while reducing energy consumption, solvent recovery and capital investment. Through their collaboration, the two companies will evaluate the integration of Maxwell's proprietary electrode process into the mass production of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles.
Johnson Controls? Non to shabby a partner with Maxwells' seasoned management team this in a good bet to turn out a fierce battery.

Continental AG Selects Maxwell Technologies, Inc.'s BOOSTCAP
January 7, 2008
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. announced that Continental AG has selected Maxwell's BOOSTCAP ultracapacitors as the energy storage element of a boardnet stabilization system it is developing for a major carmaker.
 
What up Nkhoi.... Neah Power... I need to research this more....

Neah Power Systems, Inc., (NPWS), a leading developer of fuel cells for military application and portable electronic devices, announced today that it has transitioned to the larger (43x43mm) electrodes, from its previously used 30x30mm electrodes. These larger electrodes will better utilize the 6” and 8” Silicon wafers used to produce the electrodes. These developments were funded in large part through Neah Power’s Department of Defense contract administered by the Office of Naval Research.

“In moving to a larger overall electrode structure, several advantages will be realized,” said Dr. Art Homa, VP of Technology, and Chief Scientist. “First, the absolute amount of active area for power generation available is nominally 2.5X the previous electrode design, resulting in higher absolute power as well as significantly higher efficiency of area utilization. Second, the packaging infrastructure needed to support the fluidic requirements of the cell is significantly reduced on a total volume basis. Third, these increases in active area, in addition to other design elements relating to the new electrode size, are expected to result in a significantly higher overall amount of power on a volumetric basis, enabling industry-leading volumetric energy densities.”

“This is an important step in our technical progress. The new 43mm electrode size development is exciting and further supports our continued efforts leveraging the benefits of our unique porous silicon architecture,” said Dr. Chris D’Couto, President & CEO of Neah Power. “Our efforts to obtain greater power densities, reliability, scalability, and manufacturability are crucial to providing the most competitive power solution for the military and portable electronics market.”

Neah Power Systems, Inc. (NPWS) is developing long-lasting, efficient and safe power solutions for portable electronic devices, including notebook PCs, military radios and other power-hungry products. Neah Power uses a unique, patented, silicon-based design for its micro fuel cells that enable higher power densities, lighter-weight, smaller form-factors and a lower cost products.

NPWS fuel cells use methanol, a biomass generated, renewable fuel, as its fuel source.

The company’s working micro fuel cell prototype, which was demonstrated on September 28, 2007, runs as a closed-loop system without requiring air as an oxidant. Neah Power will leverage this characteristic unique to its porous silicon technology to pursue these anaerobic applications, thus addressing a market whose needs are currently not being met, while pursuing the broader air breathing fuel cell markets as well.

Further company information can be found at www.neahpower.com.
 
Good stuff, I have never thought of using a capacitor as a replacement for a battery.

It sounds like they have made some great advances but from what I read below what is actually available now is still well under conventional lead-acid & lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy density; see bold below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultracapacitors

In terms of energy density, existing commercial electric double-layer capacitors range around 0.5 to 10 W·h/kg, with the standardized cells available from Maxwell Technologies rated at 6 W·h/kg.

Experimental electric double-layer capacitors from the MIT LEES project have demonstrated densities of 30 W·h/kg and appear to be scalable to 60 W·h/kg in the short term,[5] while EEStor claims their examples will offer capacities on the order of 200 to 300 W·h/kg.

For comparison, a conventional lead-acid battery is typically 30 to 40 W·h/kg, modern lithium-ion batteries are about 120 W·h/kg, and in an automobile applications gasoline has a net calorific value (NCV) of around 12,000 W·h/kg operating at a 20% tank-to-wheel efficiency.
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Quote from GTS:

Good stuff, I have never thought of using a capacitor as a replacement for a battery.

It sounds like they have made some great advances but from what I read below what is actually available now is still well under conventional lead-acid & lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy density; see bold below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultracapacitors
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That is correct. I don't know where stonedinvestor got his information in the original or in trying to defend this position. Batteries are far more energy dense. And ultracapacitors are far more costly.
 
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