Flexible Battery with High Safety Factor for AgilePod Integration

Imperia Batteries®, a division of Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI), will design, develop and demonstrate a safe, high-performance, flexible battery solution for the Air Force’s AgilePod. The battery will enable delivery of power to AgilePod while the aircraft it is fixed to is powered off and grounded. The battery enable recharge during flight using aircraft power. The design will incorporate Imperia’s flexible cell-to-cell connections and key safety technologies to enable a solution that can safely operate over the wider operating temperature range than commercially available solutions while conforming to variable and potentially irregular footprints within AgilePod. During the Phase I program, Imperia demonstrated the robustness of the flexible cell-to-cell connections and demonstrated an initial battery module consisting of high energy prototype unit cells. In the proposed Phase II program, the unit cell design will be validated and the battery design matured. During the Phase II, Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews with the Air Force and AgilePod teams will be held to review the designs, collected data, and projected performance of the battery.  Charge/discharge testing at the unit cell and battery levels will be carried out at the various expected environmental conditions to demonstrate the cycling and power performance of the design.  Battery modules will be tested in various physical configurations to demonstrate the ability to conform to changing spaces available in the application.  In addition, safety testing will be performed to demonstrate that internal failure of one unit cell does not propagate to surrounding cells. Imperia will complete UN 38.3 certification to enable transportation of modules via common carrier.  This certification will be enabled by a battery management system that not only provides overcurrent and short-circuit protection, but also monitors the voltage of the individual cells. In year 2, a battery module will be shipped to the Air Force for an on-site grounded demonstration in AgilePod. Following the Critical Design review, a full-scale prototype flexible battery will be constructed and demonstrated. Completion of the Phase II effort will bring the technology to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 and a Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of 6. The Phase II effort will lay the groundwork for transition efforts in a follow-on program in which Imperia will work with the Air Force to bring the technology to a TRL of 7 in preparation for a Phase III program.