Novel Methods to Improve Performance of Silver-Zinc Batteries

This SBIR Program is aimed at developing improved large format, high energy silver zinc cells and batteries that can exceed 1 Mega-watt-hours per cycle for greater than 36 cycles and two years operation. It is aimed not only to seek innovative improvements to the cell components such as the silver oxide electrodes, zinc electrodes, separator and electrolyte but also to address system level components such as cell containment, and battery trays to improve thermal management of the battery and battery management electronics to improve cell balancing while mitigating potential for cell overcharge/over discharge. It will be achieved through the development and use of improved zinc electrodes, novel separator materials designed to either replace or facilitate the present cellulosic separators. The cell and battery containment components will be optimized to facilitate the battery thermal management characteristics to include conductive thermoplastics and encapsulating pyrolytic graphite that increases thermal conductivities significantly higher than the presently used fiberglass components. Battery Management electronics will also be evaluated to facilitate battery performance optimization and safety while applying similar methodologies and controls used on high voltage lithium ion battery systems.