NEXTECH MATERIALS, LTD. — National Aeronautics and Space Administration STTR Phase I: T14

Description

To support NASArsquo;s challenging space exploration goals for the next few decades, reliable power generation and energy storage technologies are needed. NASA is considering multiple approaches for using residual propellants from space travel or those generated via In-Situ Resource Utilization technologies for onsite power generation on the Moon and Mars. Solid oxide cells are well suited for NASArsquo;s applications due to their high efficiency and performance, ability to operate reversibly in power generation and electrolysis modes, and flexibility to operate at wide temperature ranges with a variety of fuels. However, traditional cell architectures are limited in their ability to recover from high slew rates and rapid thermal changes and electrolyte hermeticity often suffers.nbsp;Metal-supported solid oxide cells (MSCs) are a game-changing technology for NASA. With a thin ceramic electrolyte enabling high electrochemical performance and porous metal supports providing unprecedented mechanical robustness, MSCs are well-suited for environments with high fluid pressures and vibration loads and extreme thermal changes. Nexcerisrsquo; MSC technology has been demonstrated to meet NASA current density targets at atmospheric conditions and has been scaled to large active areas without performance losses. In this Phase I STTR project Nexceris will work with Washington State University to demonstrate the capabilities of its highly robust and reversible planar MSCs under pressure and with pure oxygen.