New Dominion Enterprises Inc. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF203-CSO1

Description

A significant number of Air Force systems rely on power provided by rechargeable batteries. As the capabilities of these systems increase, so does the demand for power. Batteries need to provide long-lasting, reliable, and mobile power to support the warfighter’s missions.  However, reliable power to meet these needs has become a limiting factor in the adoption of emerging warfighter technology because today’s battery systems are vulnerable because of the electrolyte operating inside them. These organic electrolytes are 1) highly volatile, which causes them to evaporate rapidly even at low temperatures; 2) highly flammable, which causes them to vaporize and burn in air more easily and rapidly than gasoline; 3) are not thermally stable, causing them to decompose when heated – even if no fire occurs; and 4) have an extremely narrow electrical window of stability meaning they decompose when they are both highly charged AND nearly discharged, and which limits the ability to achieve higher energy density. New Dominion Enterprises (NDE) has the solution.  Our inorganic electrolyte additive solves the battery reliability issues and several other key problems inherent in current battery systems.  By replacing a percentage of the organic solvents with our inorganic additive we will significantly improve the durability, safety and energy density. This inorganic liquid additive material has been manufactured at pilot scale levels and the process has been documented and streamlined. However, before any commercial customer or the US Air Force can adopt this disruptive inorganic liquid scale-up feasibility and integrating the final quality assurance processes must be demonstrated. In Phase One, NDE, working with its pilot scale manufacturer, Marshallton Research Laboratories (King, NC), will prove the ability to integrate the QA/QC steps in the manufacturing process, enabling the transfer of this knowledge to full-scale producers.