ELECTROCHEMICAL CAPACITOR BANK AND ITS OPERATING PROCESS

FIELD: electrical engineering. ^ SUBSTANCE: proposed electrochemical capacitor bank has housing, positive and negative current leads, cooling system, temperature control device, and at least two electrically interconnected capacitors, each incorporating case filled with aqueous electrolyte that accommodates two electrodes of which at least one is polarized activated-carbon electrode. Bank is provided with device for compressing capacitors; each capacitor case is prismatic in shape and is made of polymeric material; all capacitors are arranged in one or more rows; cooling system has heat-transfer strips functioning as heat sinks which are in contact with coolant, and coolant distribution device; second electrode of each capacitor is nonpolarized and incorporates electrochemically convertible material for operation in aqueous electrolyte. Heat-transfer strips can be made of metal. Design alternates of heat-transfer strips or heat sinks are given in invention specification. Capacitor uses aqueous alkali electrolyte and nonpolarized electrode is mainly made of nickel hydroxide. Proposed operating process includes charge and discharge of electrochemical capacitor bank; the latter is connected to peripheral power supply, and 80 to 100% of capacitor bank maximal operating voltage is applied; capacitor bank is held at this voltage for time constituting 60 to 95% of its operating time. ^ EFFECT: enhanced specific bulk energy and power capacity of each capacitor incorporated in capacitor bank. ^ 13 cl, 4 dwg, 1 tbl, 4 ex