1. COST Action 542 Start date: 01/06/2006 End date: 12/07/2010 Year: 3
High Performance Energy Storage Systems for Mobile and Stationary Applications
COST Action 542
Start date: 01/06/2006
End date: 12/07/2010
Year: 3

2. Scientific context and objectives
Research area: high performance energy storage devices/systems, material science, transportation, energy
Brief reminder of MoU objectives:
Development of high performance energy storage systems based on supercapacitors and their implementation in mobile and stationary applications in transportation and energy technologies
Development of the next generation supercapacitors (advanced materials & manufacturing technology)
Taping the potential of the implementation of high voltage supercapacitors in transportation and energy

3. Working groups 1) Advanced materials
2) Construction and production technology
3) Automotive applications
4) Electro-transport applications
5) Energy techniques applications

4. Action Members 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 12 13 17 2
YR 1
YR 2
YR 3
YR 4

5. Number of individual participants and early stage researchers
225
200
152
175
130
150
Individual
107
125
participants
100
ESRs 75 42 37 50 26 25
YR 1
YR 2
YR 3
YR 4

6. Use of COST instruments
YR 1
YR 2
YR 3
YR 4
No. of MC / WG meetings
3 (MC)
3 (WG)
2 (MC)
2 (WG)
2 (MC) +
No. of STSMs 1 2
No. of workshops / conferences 5
(3 of them without financial support by COST) 4
(2 of them without financial support by COST)
No. of publications 15 27 40
No. of training schools
ESR Think Tank
GASG (activities)
Posters, website, meetings
Website, meetings

7. Significant highlights
WG’s Meeting in conjunction with the European Supercapacitor Conference (November, 2008):
COST Action as co- organiser of the European Conference
Scientific contribution - 15 presentations from the COST Action 542
Successful demonstration of a multidisciplinary character of the Action
Based on presented results new projects inside of the Action as well as outside Action/EC have been initiated
Development of the European Roadmap for Supercapacitor Technology has been initiated
Presentation of the COST/COST Action 542 on “3d International Renewable Energy Storage Conference” (IRES 2008) (November, 2008)
COST Action as co-organizer of the conference. Partners: EUROSOLAR, World Council for Renewable Energy, EUROBAT, ESA etc.
Special session, dedicated to supercapacitor based energy storage systems with presentations from the COST Action 542
The activity will lead to new projects and to the formation of new networks with “renewable energy” community
Impact to dissemination of supercapacitor technology as a pivotal technology to allow the improved integration of rebewables and deep penetration of distributed power generation

8. Significant highlights
Presentation of the COST and COST Action on Advanced Supercapacitors World Summit (USA, 2008, July)
Presentation of the COST and COST Action to the UK National “Supergen” Consortium (Glasgow, 2008, August) and start of cooperation between COST Action and National Consortium
Presentation of the results on the qualification of the prototype for the engine starting system (March, 2008)
Dissemination of the results: Romanian National Railways, Romanian private railway operators, start of the development of the prototype for other types of locomotives, for car (in cooperation with Renault company) in Romania, project start in France, project preparation in Israel
Patent application for the supercapacitor based engine starting system under preparation

9. Global dimension
Funding on national level: e.g. IE, PL, RO, FR, CZ, cooperation with “Supergen” consortium (GB)
Cooperation with the Russian Academy of Science and Russian National Programme “High Performance Energy Storage Devices”, 4 non-COST institutions, 12 individual participants
Cooperation with National railway operators, industry (e.g. car manufacturing companies, system integrators)
Cooperation with EUROSOLAR & World Council for Renewable Energy (result: international conference – November 2008)
Organisation of and Action Meeting in conjunction with the European Supercapacitor Symposium (Roma, November 2008)
Presentation of the COST Action: e.g. Advanced Supercapacitors World Summit (July 2008), bilateral French-German network on new technologies for transportation.

10. DISSEMINATION EFFORTS
Supercapacitor Based Engine Starting System
Multidisciplinary “Think tank” + Partnership with railway operator (November 2006)
System requirements
Development/realisation of the prototype in frame of public-private partnership (DE, RO, FR, RO)
Demonstration of the prototype (April/May 2007): to representatives of 12 countries + Training school, meanwhile decisions to consider implementation in different countries
BATTERY
BATTERY
versus +
Customer benefits: reduced CAPex & OPex long lifetime >10 years significant fuel & emissions savings maintenance freedom
Supercapacitor
more than locomotives in Europe!

11. DISSEMINATION EFFORTS
Prototypes/Demonstrators (PL, DE): “high-voltage” supercapacitor
2. International Renewable Energy Storage Conference (Berlin, DE, 24-25/11/2008)
in co-operation with EUROSOLAR and World Counsil for Renewable Energy
Special session: “Supercaps for stationary and mobile energy storage” incl. 3 presentations from the COST Action 542
UPS:
SC & 1.2 KW FUEL CELL

12. Challenges Successes and shortcomings: Future challenges:
Effective implementation of multidisciplinary Pan-European approach for technological improvement (advanced materials: separator; prototypes for the application in the transportation and energy technique)
Successful dissemination strategy/results
Insufficient number of STSM`s, but training school and ERS “Think Tank”
Improved activity in FP
Future challenges:
Development of the European Roadmap for Supercapacitor Technology
Education tool on supercapacitor technology for universities
“White paper” book on supercapacitor technology
Training school/Think tank for ESR`s
Dissemination of results
Initiative for the public – private partnership to create new European companies for supercapacitor development/manufacturing/system integration