Innovative Advanced Fuel Cell Manufacturing

This Phase II proposal is to demonstrate a 90Wh Lithium-Nickel cell for High Altitude Airship applications. The cell will target a specific energy of 600Wh/kg, over three times higher than available lithium ion battery technologies. Success of this program will have revolutionary impacts on the battery industry. In a conventional lithium/oxygen cell, discharge can become oxygen diffusion rate limited, leading to oxygen starvation and lithium-water reactions which generate hydrogen gas. In addition to high, irreversible, charge efficiency losses, hydrogen presents a major safety concern particularly in self contained oxygen systems. Under Phase I, Excellatron demonstrated innovative rechargeable Lithium-Nickel cells that preclude hydrogen gas generation. Lithium-Nickel cells require the use of an electrolyte barrier system that will conduct lithium ions while at the same time protecting the lithium anode from corrosion. The available electrolytes that meet this requirement are ceramic materials that are difficult to manufacture, extremely fragile and not suitable for large scale battery applications. The proposed Phase II program includes the development of electrolyte barrier material suitable for manufacturing in large sheets that will be fundamental to demonstrate scalability of the technology for large scale battery applications.