High Energy Density Batteries

Soldiers conducting missions on foot in remote locations must carry multiple battery powered electronic devices, such as multiband radio sets, night vision goggles and scopes, GPS tracking, thermal imagers, target designators, etc. These devices allow soldiers to target, move, and communicate in the modern battlefield. Depending upon the type of mission and its duration, soldiers might not have the luxury of daily resupply and must carry many heavy spare batteries. One of such devices, the AN/PRC-148 multiband inter-intra-team radio is the most widely tactical handheld radio used by US and NATO forces around the world. This handheld radio is powered by a 6.8 Ah/12V (73 Wh) rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) pack. This SBIR topic calls for a battery pack that can deliver 16Ah/12V(192Wh) with similar weight and volume, as the exiting commercial 6.8Ah unit. Assuming that the non-cell weight and volume of the battery pack (e.g. electronics, external case, and cell packaging) remains the same, this would require a cell chemistry that can deliver an astounding energy density of approximately 660 Wh/kg or 2.3 times today’s most energy dense LIBs. Unfortunately, this gravimetric energy density is and will remain unattainable for intercalation type LIB chemistries. Therefore, meeting the extremely demanding energy storage needs of the next generation soldier portable batteries (SPBs) requires the exploration of battery chemistries with much higher specific energy densities than today’s or even tomorrow’s LIBs.