Integrated energy storage unit

1. An integrated energy storage unit comprising:

a container electrically coupled to an energy storage management system;

a rechargeable battery housed within a battery pouch within the container, the battery comprising:

one or more positive battery plates coupled to a positive battery terminal;

one or more negative battery plates coupled to a negative battery terminal;

a battery electrolyte;

a capacitor housed within a capacitor pouch within the container, separate from the battery, the capacitor having a higher voltage rating than the voltage rating of the battery and the capacitor having an internal resistance less than one half of the internal resistance of the battery comprising:

a positive capacitor terminal;

a negative capacitor terminal;

a capacitor electrolyte different from said battery electrolyte;

a plurality of connectors electrically coupling the battery and the capacitor in parallel;

a positive lead electrically coupled to the positive battery terminal and the positive capacitor terminal, the positive lead extending from the container; and

a negative lead electrically coupled to the negative battery terminal and the negative capacitor terminal, the negative lead extending from the container.

2. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the battery comprises a plurality of batteries electrically coupled to each other in parallel.

3. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the capacitor comprises a plurality of capacitors electrically coupled to each other in series.

4. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein said capacitor includes at least one positive capacitor plate and at least one negative capacitor plate.

5. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of said capacitor plates has a coating thereon which includes a nanofoam powder with a porosity and a binder that exhibits limited occluding of the porosity the nanofoam.

6. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 5 , wherein said nanofoam powder has a surface area in the range of about 2,000 to about 2,400 m 2 /g.

7. An integrated energy storage unit comprising:

a container electrically coupled to an energy storage management system;

a rechargeable battery assembly comprising a plurality of batteries housed within the container, the plurality of batteries electrically coupled together in parallel, each battery having plates housed within a battery pouch which contains a battery electrolyte; and

a capacitor assembly comprising a plurality of capacitors housed within the container, each capacitor being housed within a capacitor pouch containing a capacitor electrolyte different from the battery electrolyte, the plurality of capacitors electrically coupled together in series, the plurality of capacitors in the aggregate having a higher voltage rating than the plurality of batteries and the plurality of capacitors in the aggregate having an internal resistance less than one half of the internal resistance of the plurality of the batteries,

wherein the battery assembly and the capacitor assembly are electrically coupled to each other in parallel.

8. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 7 , wherein said capacitor includes at least one positive capacitor plate and at least one negative capacitor plate.

9. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of said capacitor plates has a coating thereon which includes:

a nanofoam powder with a surface area in the range of about 2,000 to about 2,400 m 2 /g and a porosity; and

a binder that exhibits limited occluding of the porosity the nanofoam.

10. An integrated energy storage unit comprising:

a plurality of rechargeable batteries electrically coupled together in parallel, each of the plurality of batteries having plates housed in its own battery pouch which contains a battery electrolyte; and

a plurality of capacitors electrically coupled together in series, each of the plurality of capacitors being housed in its own capacitor pouch containing a capacitor electrolyte different from the battery electrolyte, the plurality of capacitors in the aggregate having a higher voltage rating than the plurality of batteries and the plurality of capacitors in the aggregate having an internal resistance less than one half of the internal resistance of the plurality of the batteries;

wherein the plurality of batteries are electrically coupled to the plurality of capacitors in parallel and the combination of the plurality of batteries and plurality of capacitors electrically coupled to an energy storage management system.

11. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of capacitors in series have a total capacitor voltage capacity, and wherein the plurality of batteries in parallel have a total battery voltage capacity equal to or less than the total capacitor voltage capacity.

12. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 10 , wherein said capacitor includes at least one positive capacitor plate and at least one negative capacitor plate .

13. The integrated energy storage unit according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of said capacitor plates has a coating thereon which includes:

a nanofoam powder with a surface area in the range of about 2,000 to about 2,400 m 2 /g and a porosity; and

a binder that exhibits limited occluding of the porosity the nanofoam.