Rechargeable Thermal Batteries for Airborne Systems

The Air Force is seeking a prime power system using rechargeable thermal batteries (TBs) suitable for airborne systems.TBs are attractive prime power sources due to their ability to reliably provide high peak power and very long shelf life.However, they are one-time use and have a relatively short life (< 1 hr).A rechargeable thermal battery would enable applications requiring high peak power while allowing the mission flexibility of multiple charge/discharge cycles. The objective of the Phase I program is to thoroughly investigate the current state of the art in TBs, and identify a path to advancing the state of the art in rechargeable TBs.An exhaustive study of available TB chemistries along with preliminary tests of promising candidates for rechargeable thermal batteries will provide a detailed database of their performance potential.Using available literature, collaboration with an industry partner, EnerSys, and laboratory testing a path to improving the state of the art in rechargeable TBs will be presented.A thorough evaluation will be performed to determine the overall commercialization opportunity for a rechargeable TB.Potential customers from within DOD will be consulted, along with other potential industrial customers in theoil and gas, and hybrid/electric vehicle industry.