[LINK] 'Electrical Energy Storage Unit'

[Stephen Wilson]

New capacitors are indeed great, even if the article contains at least 
two anti-scientific clangers, one of them serious:

stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
> I'll bet (hope) solar panels, teamed with an eesu, become a common item ..
>  <http://www.naturalnews.com/023063.html>

> It is claimed that this new advance allows for a specific energy of about 
> 280 watts per kilogram ...

Careless.  The Watt is a unit of power, not energy.  The specific energy 
of a cell, battery or capacitor is usually measured in Watt Hours per 
Kg.  There is such a thing as specific power but a figure of 280 watts 
per kilogram would be extremely modest.

But less nit pickingly ...

> Further, because it is based on a solid state design and not dependent on 
> chemicals, the technology would be extremely safe, environmentally 
> friendly ...

This is potentially dangerous nonsense.  "Not dependent of chemicals" 
simply because it's solid state?  Sounds like the sort of superstitious 
claim made by some on behalf of organic foods: 'contain no chemicals'!

All capacitors have 'chemicals' even if they are powders sealed inside 
the components.  And some of them are very bad.  Traditional high power 
capacitors used in electricity distribution use PCBs -- some of the most 
potent carcinogens known -- in their electrolytes, and represent a 
serious waste disposal problem.  I don't know anything about 
barium-titanate but I do know it's a chemical.

Cheers,

Stephen Wilson

Lockstep
www.lockstep.com.au