SBIR Phase II:Development of Safe, Energy Dense, High Performance Lithium Ion Batteries

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is improved safety of lithium (Li) ion batteries (LIBs) for power intensive applications ranging from lawnmowers to aircraft. The nature of chemicals used in LIB construction, combined with the large amount of stored energy, makes the batteries vulnerable to various failure modes including thermal runaway and fire. LIB fires have captured the headlines several times in recent years including ~25,000 fire incidents in more than 400 consumer products between 2012 and 2017. Current battery safety mechanisms contribute to 5 – 10% of the overall battery cost but are ineffective as evidenced by the continued occurrence of LIB fires. Improved safety with the proposed technology may save lives and property and help the industry migrate towards less expensive and more energy dense batteries.This SBIR Phase II project seeks to develop and demonstrate a cell- and chemistry-agnostic device to prevent thermal runaway in Li ion cells and batteries. By preventing thermal runaway, this technology may improve the safety of LIBs, protecting nearby lives and property. The Phase I research has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed innovation in individual cylindrical cells of various sizes and chemistries subjected to a specific type of abuse. The Phase II technical effort shall expand the research to cover additional cell chemistries, sizes, formats, and abuses, integrating the proposed technology into a commercial battery pack and performing tests to demonstrate that this safety technology helps battery systems meet regulatory standards (such as UL 9540A for BESS battery systems).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.