LITHIUM RECHARGEABLE BATTERY WITH INORGANIC ELECTROLYTE FOR SILO ENERGY STORAGE

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND EVALUATE NUMEROUS INNOVATIONS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF RECHARGEABLE LI/CUCL2 CELLS USING INORGANIC ELECTROLYTES AND THICK CUCL2 ELECTRODES (E.G. 2.5 TO 5.0 MM) SUITABLE FOR VERY LARGE BATTERIES FOR MISSILE SILO ENERGY STORAGE. THE LITHIUM/INORGANIC ELECTROLYTE/CUCL2 CELL HAS BEEN FOUND TO GIVE EXCELLENT CYCLE LIFE AND ENERGY DENSITY (E.G. 200 CYCLES AT 75 WHR/LB) BUT SUITABLE THICK AND STRUDY CUCL2 ELECTRODES FOR VERY LARGE BATTERIES (I.E. 50 KWHR) HAVE NOT YET BEEN DEVELOPED AND TESTED FOR THE 1000 DEEP CYCLES REQUIRED FOR THE MISSILE SILO APPLICATION. THE APPROACH IN PHASE I WILL BE TO EVALUATE SEVERAL INNOVATIONS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE AND CYCLE LIFE OF THICK CUCL2 ELECTRODES IN LI/CUCL2 CELLS. IN PARTICULAR, CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION, CURRENT COLLECTOR GRID AND POROSITY OF THE CUCL2 ELECTRODE WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE LI ELECTRODE AND SEVERAL PROMISING INNOVATIONS INVOLVING THE SEPARATOR AND THE CELL DESIGN WILL ALSO BE INVESTIGATED. THE PERFORMANCE OF SEVERAL RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM/INORGANIC ELECTROLYTE BATTERY SYSTEMS IS BEING EVALUATED DURING HIGH POWER PULSE DISCHARGE CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR STRATEGIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS. LITHIUM/INORGANIC ELECTROLYTE CELLS SUCH AS THE LI/CUC12 CELL USING SO2 BASED ELECTROLYTES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO GIVE EXCELLENT CYCLE LIFE AND ENERGY DENSITIES(E.G. 200 CYCLES AT 75 WHR/LB) BUT HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED OR DEVELOPED FOR HIGH POWER PULSE DISCHARGE CYCLING. THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF SEVERAL INORGANIC ELECTROLYTES AND THE UNUSUAL POSITIVE ELECTRODE REDUCTION MECHANISM SUGGESTS THAT LI/INORGANIC ELECTROLYTE CELLS MAY GIVE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE. IN THIS STUDY, THE HIGH POWERPERFORMANCE OF SEVERAL PROMISING NEW POSITIVE ELECTRODE MATERIALS IS BEING EVALUATED AND CELL DESIGN IS BEING IMPROVED. POSITIVE ELECTRODE TECHNOLOGY IS BEING DEVELOPED TO INCREASE THE HIGH CURRENT CAPABILITIES OF THE BEST ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEM. THIS PROJECT, WHEN SUCCESSFUL, COULD HAVE POTENTIAL FOR TERRESTRIAL RAIL GUN, LASER AND SIMILAR WEAPON SYSTEMS IN ADDITION TO THE SPACE POWER APPLICATION. THE TECHNOLOGY WOULD IMPROVE THE HIGH RATE CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE PERFORMANCE OF LI/INORGANIC ELECTROLYTERECHARGEABLE CELLS. THUS, IT WOULD BENEFIT POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS SUCH AS LOW EARTH ORBIT SATELLITE POWER, CELLULAR RADIOS AND IMPLANTABLE ELECTROMEDICAL DEVICES SUCH AS HEART DEFRIBILLATORS.