Lithium Batteries with High Capacity Current Collectors for High Specific Power

Electrochemical systems for pulsed power and high continuous power levels face a critical optimization problem. One must spread reagents in extremely thin layers to provide maximum surface area for reaction sites that release energy. This increases powerper unit mass of reagent (specific power). One must also provide low-resistance current paths from every reaction site to the end load, so that electrical energy released in the reaction will travel out of the electrochemical system without inordinateresistive losses. However, adding current collection increases mass and decreases specific power.Boundless' PowerCoreTM multi-functional battery panel offers a unique solution to the problem. The aluminum honeycomb core of this sandwich panel/battery serves as a bulk current collector with a very large surface and very low resistance. Since the massof the honeycomb core is already necessary for structural support of an aerospace system, there is a large improvement in power per kilogram for the electrochemical fraction of the system.In addition to higher power levels, mass-critical vehicles will benefit from high specific energies, and distributing the active battery elements over a large volume improves heat dissipation, improving battery lifetime and reliability in the process.Allmass-critical vehicles with high pulse-power or continuous power requirements, such as spacecraft for communications and directed-energy devices, as well as Hybrid Electric Vehicles, will benefit from PowerCore's high specific power, high specificenergies, and increased reliability and product life.