Nanomaterial Technologies for Long-Life Li-ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have become the industry standard for use as rechargeable secondary batteries in space vehicles. Although substantial advancements have made in this class of batteries of late, substantial limitations still exist in: energy and power densities, operational temperature limits, safety, and most importantly lifecycle and lifetime performance. To address this need, ADA Technologies, Inc. proposes the development of advanced lithium-ion batteries for space vehicle applications comprising nanocomposite electrode technologies and low-loss, ionic-liquid-incorporated gel polymer electrolytes. BENEFIT: The proposed project will result in improved energy and power densities, wider operation temperature ranges, inherently safer operation and excellent storage/cycle-life as compared to current lithium-ion batteries. The results of the proposed program will allow for significant improvements in operational performance of military satellites. Furthermore, the developments undertaken will substantially improve the state-of-the-art of energy storage devices. Thus if successful, the resulting technology could have substantial commercial impact as the overall market for battery technologies is estimated to be in excess of $6B per year. Spin-off applications include hybrid electric vehicles, utility grid applications, personal electronics and medical devices