Ultra-Safe Enclosure for High Energy Density Devices: Thin Laminate Walls and Flameless Venting

The density and storage capacity benefits of lithium-ion batteries and other high-energy density storage systems make them attractive options to enable game-changing and ambitious future missions across all branches of the military. Safe packaging of these systems has somewhat lagged and as a result, a few significant events have taken place, resulting in high-profile and sometimes dramatic incidents. They highlighted the need to design this packaging as an integral part of a holistic system using a survivability mindset to offer improved countermeasures to a sudden, uncontrolled release of stored energy. In this Phase II program, ADA Technologies will follow a traditional risk-reduction and product development process. ADA is proposing to refine a lightweight, ultra-safe enclosure technology developed and demonstrated in Phase I. The technology combines the properties of several off-the-shelf materials in a laminate structure capable to channel and contain a violent and uncontrolled energy release, protecting nearby equipment and personnel. Our subcontractors and partners include Navitas Systems and Saft America, both leading manufacturers of large-format high-energy density lithium ion batteries, Lockheed-Martin, a DoD prime contractor with strong technology transfer capabilities to military markets, and Hoffman, a leading, high-volume provider of industrial electric enclosures.