NASA SBIR 01-1 Solicitation

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
With the highest available energy of any known aqueous chemistry, Silver/Zinc batteries have found successful application in numerous NASA missions. However, severe wet-life and cycle life limitations of present cell designs restrict the mission capability of the Silver/Zinc system. Two principle causes of cell failure are: 1) degradation of the cellophane separator in contact with alkaline KOH electrolyte/Ag+ ion and 2) shape change and dendrites associated with the zinc anode. The innovation proposed here applies radically new material formulations and methods of electrode fabrication to produce extremely long-life and high energy Silver/Zinc cells. More specifically, a chemically-stable, surface-functionalized, microporous, polyolefin separator and specially formulated roll-bonded electrodes, are to be evaluated in Silver/Zinc cells. Successful implementation could prove to be a significant advance in performance (energy and operational life) in a system with demonstrated capability to operate in harsh environments, providing a high power alternative to lithium-ion batteries. In the proposed Phase I effort, RBC Technologies will work with Eagle-Picher Technologies to demonstrate expected improvements in silver/zinc cell energy, power and durability cells and deliver to NASA a Final Technical Report. RBC would extend this effort and deliver working batteries to NASA as part of a follow-on Phase II.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
Silver/zinc batteries have been widely used in space where volume and weight limitations are critical. Space applications include: launch-vehicle guidance and control, telemetry, NASA vehicles, space shuttle payload launch and power for the life-support equipment used by the astronauts during EVA's. Silver/zinc batteries (primary as well as secondary) also find critical applications in military markets, powering over 90% of all military missile systems, including the Patriot and Tomahawk Cruise missiles. The Navy makes use of silver/zinc batteries in applications that include: mines, buoys, special test vehicles, swimmer aids, deep submergence and rescue vehicles, exploratory underwater vehicles, torpedo propulsion, drones, submarines, and other military equipment. There are also commercial sector applications for silver/zinc in premium electronic equipment that requires a lightweight, high-capacity battery, such as portable medical equipment, portable communications, and professional video recorder. With sufficient improvements in wet-life/cycle-life, technology developed under this SBIR program could find new markets in high performance telecommunications and satellites, which are currently undergoing high rates of growth. Higher performance silver/zinc batteries could be reasonably expected to take market share from older versions of this system, and would be a driver for implementing technology successfully developed under this program.

NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Ramesh Kainthla
RBC Technologies
809 University Drive East, Suite 100E
College Station , TX   77840 - 2173

NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
RBC Technologies
809 University Drive East, Suite 100E
College Station , TX   77840 - 2173