HIGH RATE THERMAL BATTERY FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

FEASIBILITY OF A THERMAL CELL LITHIUM/SULFUR(IV) IN AN ALCL*3*/LICL MELT WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THIS CELL IS RELATED TO THE RECHARGEABLE SODIUM/SULFUR(IV) BATTERY SYSTEM INVOLVING THE MOLTEN ALCL*3*/NACL MELT AND THE B"-ALUMINA SEPARATOR. A SOLID LITHIUM ALLOY ANODE WILL BE SUBSTITUTED FOR MOLTEN SODIUM TO PREVENT MELTING UPON ACTIVATION AND TO INCREASE THE ENERGY DENSITY WHILE THE B"-ALUMINA SEPARATOR WILL BE REPLACED WITH A THIN LAYER OF A SOLID LITHIUM ELECTROLYTE. CELL PROTOTYPES WILL BE DESIGNED, BUILT AND TESTED DURING THE PHASE I PROGRAM AS A PROOF OF CONCEPT. THE PHASE I PROGRAM WILL NOT INCLUDE DEVICES FOR THERMAL ACTIVATION, HOWEVER, PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE TO INCORPORATE SUCH DEVICES INTO COMPLETE CELL UNITS TO BE TESTED IN THE PHASE II OF THE PROGRAM.