RECHARCHEABLE ZINC-AIR CELL

THIS PROJECT COULD PROVIDE NASA WITH SAFE, RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES THAT HAVE 10 TIMES THE SPECIFIC ENERGY OF THOSE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, AND THAT COULD HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS ON THE SPACE STATION FREEDOM. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SPECIFIC ENERGIES OF ALL OTHER AVAILABLE,RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES ARE TOO LOW. THOSE FOR LEAD-ACID ANDNICKEL-CADMIUM ARE ONLY 35 WH/KG AND, ALTHOUGH THAT OF NICKEL-HYDROGEN IS SOMEWHAT HIGHER AT 55 WH/KG, IT HAS A LOWENERGY DENSITY THAT, AT ONLY 60 WH/L, MAKES IT RATHER BULKY. IN CONTRAST, THE ZINC-AIR BATTERY HAS THE HIGHEST SPECIFIC ENERGY OF ALL PRACTICAL BATTERY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING LITHIUM, AND IS INHERENTLY SAFE. CURRENTLY, HOWEVER, IT IS MANUFACTURED ONLY IN SMALL BUTTON CELL AND BULKY, LOW RATE INDUSTRIAL BATTERIES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE NON-RECHARGEABLE. NONETHELESS, RECENT ADVANCES IN RECHARGEABLE ZINC AND OXYGEN ELECTRODE TECHNOLOGY PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A RECHARGEABLE ZINC-AIR BATTERY WITH A SPECIFIC ENERGY OF 350 WH/KG. THIS PROJECT COULD PROVIDE NASA WITH SAFE, RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES THAT HAVE 10 TIMES THE SPECIFIC ENERGY OF THOSE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, AND THAT COULD HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS ON THE SPACE STATION FREEDOM. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SPECIFIC ENERGIES OF ALL OTHER AVAILABLE,RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES ARE TOO LOW. THOSE FOR LEAD-ACID ANDNICKEL-CADMIUM ARE ONLY 35 WH/KG AND, ALTHOUGH THAT OF NICKEL-HYDROGEN IS SOMEWHAT HIGHER AT 55 WH/KG, IT HAS A LOWENERGY DENSITY THAT, AT ONLY 60 WH/L, MAKES IT RATHER BULKY. IN CONTRAST, THE ZINC-AIR BATTERY HAS THE HIGHEST SPECIFIC ENERGY OF ALL PRACTICAL BATTERY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING LITHIUM, AND IS INHERENTLY SAFE. CURRENTLY, HOWEVER, IT IS MANUFACTURED ONLY IN SMALL BUTTON CELL AND BULKY, LOW RATE INDUSTRIAL BATTERIES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE NON-RECHARGEABLE. NONETHELESS, RECENT ADVANCES IN RECHARGEABLE ZINC AND OXYGEN ELECTRODE TECHNOLOGY PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A RECHARGEABLE ZINC-AIR BATTERY WITH A SPECIFIC ENERGY OF 350 WH/KG.