DEVELOPMENT OF A BIPOLAR LEAD/FLUOROBORIC ACID BATTERY FOR PULSE POWER

THE U.S. AIR FORCE REQUIRES STANDARD PULSE POWER SOURCES FOR AIRBORNE/SPACEBORNE APPLICATIONS WITH POWER DENSITIES GREATER THAN 50 KW/KG. TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A RECHARGEABLE HIGH POWER BIPOLAR BATTERY BASED ON THE PB/HBF/(4)PBO(2) SYSTEM. THIS BATTERY IS UNIQUE IN THAT THE DISCHARGE PRODUCT OF BOTH ELECTRODES IS A HIGHLY SOLUBLE SALT, PB(BF?4?)O(2). THE ACTIVE MATERIALS, PB AND PBO2, ARE REGENERATED FROM THE SALT ON CHARGE. SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES OF THE BATTERY INCLUDE HIGH RATE CAPABILITY, COMPLETE USE OF ACTIVE MATERIALS, INVARIANT ELECTRODES, AND SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE BATTERY CONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY. IN PHASE I WE WILL DEMONSTRATE PULSED POWER DENSITIES OF 2 W/CM(2) IN BIPOLAR PROTOTYPE BATTERIES. AFTER FURTHER DEVELOPMENT MULTILAYER BIPOLAR BATTERIES WILL BE CAPABLE OF 100 KW/KG AND 20 WH/KG.