LOW-TEMPERATURE/HIGH-VOLTAGE THERMAL BATTERY

To ultimately provide a complete thermal battery system that meets the objectives of the defined program, i.e. electrolyte melting temperature between 100 and 230 degrees C, single cell voltage greater than 2 V, sustained background current density greater than 0.5 A/cm2 and pulse current density capability greater than 6 A/cm2, several technical details need to be considered. Given the scope of the program the first is the identification of a suitable electrolyte system. The second is the identification of a higher voltage electrochemical couple. Although new, lower temperature molten salt electrolyte systems, once identified, will be considered for this investigation, the most cost-effective and technically viable approach is to combine the expertise of thermal battery design, development and production capabilities that exists at ENSER with a lower temperature electrolyte system that has already shown promise. Work performed by Dr. Melvin Miles has demonstrated that a molten nitrate electrolyte may perform well as a thermal battery electrolyte system therefore nitrate electrolytes will be tested for optimization and use. In order to meet the program objectives for the high-voltage thermal battery it will be necessary to utilize an advanced cathodes, advanced anodes, or both that are under development at ENSER.