Material Flow Solutions, Inc. — Department of Defense STTR Phase II: MDA16-T001

Description

Based on the results of our Phase I work, one significant barrier to optimizing battery performance lies in understanding the relationship between bulk solids and particle flow properties and the flow into the die. Our hypothesis: an increase in quality batteries production can be achieved if powder preparation process can be optimized and the die filling process controlled. We feel that control of the first stages of the compaction process in a die is critical to performance of battery pellets. Thus, the density profiles and chemical concentration profiles across a battery pellet must be minimized during initial filling. Imperfections in battery pellets cause regions that cannot sustain the required current, limiting the life and performance of the battery. For example, one “bad” pellet in a stack of ten pellets can reduce overall battery performance by much more than 10%. These imperfections can be the result of density variations in the powders or the pellets. The concept of improving the flow properties of thermal battery component powder to achieve uniformity of battery pellets, thereby increasing battery quality, is the heart of the work proposed. A team of three entities has assembled to achieve these results. Approved for Public Release | 18-MDA-9522 (23 Feb 18)