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Thermally Robust Capacitors for the Drilling Industry—Covalent Associates, Inc., 10 State Street, Woburn, MA 01801-6820; 781-938-1140, www.covalentassociates.com 

Dr. Victor R. Koch, Principal Investigator, koch@covalentassociates.com

Mrs. Linda M. Morrison, Business Official, morrison@covalentassociates.com

DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-06ER84598

Amount:  $100,000 

In the oil and gas drilling industry, the temperature in deep wells can reach 250°C – well beyond the temperature at which electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) can be used to safely and reliably power instrumentation.  In fact, at temperatures above 85°C, the performance of EDLCs rapidly degrades, due to the irreversible decomposition of their non-aqueous electrolyte.  This project will develop a novel solution to the problem of EDLC electrolyte decomposition by replacing volatile organic solvents with a new class of thermally stable ionic liquid materials.  These non-flammable materials are highly conductive and have been shown to possess remarkable thermochemical and electrochemical stability.  Phase I will synthesize and qualify several ionic liquid materials for use in high temperature EDLCs.  The new electrolytes will then be evaluated at elevated temperatures in well-engineered, wound EDLCs that have been designed specifically for the high-pulse-power output required by the drilling industry.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:  The new materials should enable the development of a new class of thermally robust portable power sources that can operate in deep wells under conditions of high temperature and pressure.  The technology should accelerate the drilling industry’s ability to obtain domestic oil and natural gas at significantly greater depths than before, while concurrently reducing our reliance on imported oil and gas.