Lunar Surface Secondary Battery Modules for Continuous Day/Night Operation

Future science missions to the Lunar surface will require advanced secondary battery systems that can operate from -230 C to +120 C. Advancements that address battery operation at extreme temperatures, combined with high specific energy and energy density are critically needed. Conventional rechargeable Li-ion cells operate within a narrow temperature range of -20 to 40 ºC, and they particularly suffer from capacity loss at lower temperatures. Improved batteries that combined with light weight thermal management are critically needed for diurnal lunar survival. The solution is a new battery module using new low temperature tolerant battery cells and a novel diurnal thermal management system. It is also critical to use high voltage batteries to produce the high energy density battery modules that exceed >150 Wh/kg at the full system level including thermal management.

The targeted NASA application is for energy storage (batteries) that survive many day/night cycles on the Lunar surface (several Earth years). NASA has specifically identified this need, and it is the primary target application. Similarly, extreme temperature tolerant batteries would serve NASA for additional missions (Mars, Titan, etc.). There is an immense dual-use commercial market for low temperature batteries on Earth. Electric vehicles, electric aircraft and numerous other defense-related energy storage applications would greatly benefit from being able to work below -40 ºC.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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