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Completed TRL 2 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Energy storage devices which can operate at low temperatures (below 0°C) are highly desirable in the field of space exploration. State- of-the-art storage devices fail in this temperature range generally due to anode polarization and Li dendrite formation. Solutions to this problem have ranged from electrolyte additives, novel electrolyte formulas, and self-powered heaters. Though more effective and easily integrated heating devices are necessary, current strategies either sacrifice power density or are overly complicated by the addition of cell components. Biology researchers have developed a novel heating method for polymerase chain reactions, which require fast, accurate heating to facilitate DNA denaturation, annealing, and extension. In this method, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) absorbs surface acoustic waves (SAWs), resulting in extreme acoustothermal heating of over 2,000 K/s. However, to our knowledge, this heating technique is not widely used outside of microfluidic devices. This proposal aims to utilize acoustothermal heating in lithium- ion batteries (LIBs) to achieve rapid heating. Existing literature and preliminary data will be presented to show that this method will produce positive results. We hope to collaborate with NASA experts to create a battery heating device which can heat a full cell from -60°C to 0°C in less than 20 seconds without sacrificing more than 10% of the battery’s energy. We expect that integration of this technique into a commercial-grade pouch cell will not sacrifice more than 5% of the original energy density (~250 Wh kg-1)10. Realizing the potential of this technique will advance NASA roadmap goal TA 3.2.1.3.
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