Ultra Battery is a hybrid energy storage device invented by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). Ultra Battery combines ultracapacitor technology with lead-acid battery technology in a single cell with a common electrolyte.
Research conducted by independent laboratories, such as the United States Sandia National Laboratories, the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) , and East Trade Trials Penn Manufacturing, Furukawa Battery and Ecoult indicate that in comparison to conventional valve-regulated lead acid batteries (VRLA), Ultra Battery technology has a higher energy efficiency, longer service life, and higher load acceptance under partial-state conditions of load (SoC).
Combining the two technologies into one battery cell means that Ultra Battery works very efficiently compared to conventional lead acid technologies largely due to the fact that it can be operated for long periods in a partial charge state (pSoC), while that conventional lead acid batteries are more typically designed for high SoC usage (ie when the battery is almost fully charged). Operation in the partial SoC range extends battery life primarily by reducing sulfation and reducing operating time at very high and very low load states, where several side reactions tend to cause deterioration. A conventional VRLA battery tends to deteriorate rapidly when operating in this partial SoC range.