Electrolyte for Aluminum-Air Batteries

The novel approach for optimizing airspeed for both actual and predicted wind conditions in electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft with Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) systems includes the process of creating a lookup table for wind‐optimal airspeed as a function of wind magnitude, considering the direction of the wind relative to the cruise segment, considering the cruise altitude for an aircraft type, and incorporating the wind-optimal airspeed lookup table in the performance database for real‐time access by the Flight Management Systems (FMS) to predict wind-optimal airspeed at waypoints of the flight plan. The target wind‐optimal airspeed is updated in real-time throughout the cruise portion of a flight. In a test of the wind-optimal airspeed targeting technique using a multi-rotor aircraft model, results obtained show benefits of flying at the wind‐optimal cruise airspeed compared to the best‐range airspeed. In headwind conditions, energy consumption was reduced by up to 7.5%, and flight duration was reduced by up to 28%. Under uncertain wind magnitudes, flying at wind-optimal airspeed offered lower variability and higher predictability in energy consumption than flying at best‐range airspeed.

The SABERS innovators developed novel lithium-sulfur designs, including sulfur-selenium on graphene cathodes, and lightweight bipolar plate stacking and packaging designs. SABERS is unique in several aspects, in particular, it deploys graphene-based manufacturing processes for the cathode and bipolar plates, and it uses a solid-state electrolyte in place of the liquid electrolyte found in other lithium-sulfur battery designs. The team has achieved energy densities over 500 W-hr/kg, with ongoing development targeting further improvements. Coin cell and pouch prototype demonstrations have been successful and are ongoing. Major component technologies in SABERS include the following: • S/Se Cathode – Sulfur/Selenium on graphene scaffold (LEW-20228-1) • Solid Electrolyte – Solid-state electrolyte composites (LEW-20445-1) • Bipolar Stack – Graphene plates (LAR-20257-1) Robust computational models have been developed to support the battery materials design and are available to licensees to evaluate and optimize different materials combinations and performance targets. Further developments in catholyte formulations, anode interlayering, and packaging optimization are presented in SABERS 2.0 (LEW-TOPS-188). Individual technologies can be licensed from either suite, or entire portfolios can be licensed to support solid-state battery development programs.

This technology uses a layered architecture that couples two complementary mechanisms. Polymer aerogels, with extremely small pores and high surface area, create tortuous pathways that dissipate structure-borne vibration (damping). Open-cell melamine foam captures airborne sound through viscous and elastic losses in the cellular network (absorption). By varying layer order, thickness, and chemistry, the composite becomes a tunable gradient system and can be designed for specific vibro-acoustic signatures, such as targeted frequency bands and mixed noise/vibration environments. Configurations can include melamine foam, compressed melamine, and melamine/aerogel sub-layers to balance absorption and damping in a single, thin envelope. Beyond acoustic performance, the aerogel component contributes low thermal conductivity. This enables insulation that reduces mass and volume while improving thermal management in panels, liners, and enclosure inserts and it integrates readily with existing structures as bonded or mechanically fastened layers. The layers can range from small samples to large panels for system-level installations. The technology has been validated from small test pieces to 8-foot panels where the layered composite can be tuned via stack order, thickness, and compression (melamine, compressed melamine, melamine/aerogel) to target specific frequency bands while retaining low thermal conductivity and low mass. This technology is assessed at TRL 6 and is available for patent licensing.

The first technique improves electrolyte densification, which is essential for ion conductivity and battery reliability overall. The process involves the use of a sintering aid (e.g., sulfur) to achieve denser and more stable electrolytes than are achievable through more common, high-temperature processes. Electrolytes that are denser and less porous have higher ion conductivity (thus better performance), longer cycle lives, and lower volatility. Aside from densification, this technique also significantly increased the base electrolyte's lithium wettability. The second innovation is a new cathode and electrolyte design using a mixed conducting material that can carry both ions and electrons, which simplifies the cathode’s composition by eliminating the need for separate ion and electron conductors. This catholyte is a composite that utilizes a mixed conducting material, replacing both the ion and electron conductors with a single material thus simplifying solid state cathode design from a 3-component to 2-component composite. The mixed material is composed of a metal chalcogenide, such as titanium disulfide (TiS2), which can act as a mixed conductor and contributes to energy storage. The addition of sulfur boosts energy capacity up to 33% compared to traditional cathode designs. Reducing single-conduction phases simplifies energy transport pathways and improves efficiency, making solid-state batteries easier to produce and safer to use. These two innovations work together to improve the state of the art, creating solid-state batteries with higher temperature tolerances and up to five times more energy capacity than current lithium-ion batteries. They stand together at a TRL 4 and are available for patent licensing individually or as part of the larger SABERS (LEW-TOPS-167) or SABERS 2.0 portfolio (LEW-TOPS-188).

The subject technology is an extension of closely related, solid-state ultracapacitor innovations by the same team of inventors. The primary distinction for this specific technology is the addition of co-dopants to affect the dielectric behavior of the barium titanatebased perovskite materials. These co-dopants include lanthanum and other rare earths as well as hydroxyl ions. The materials are processed at the nano scale, and are subjected to carefully designed thermal treatments as well. The presence of the hydroxyl ions has been shown to provide several orders of magnitude increase in the capacitance of the dielectric material. Additionally, these high capacitance values are obtained at relatively low voltages found in current consumer and industrial electronics. The capacitors tested to date are simple, single-layer devices. Ultimately, a range of manufacturing methods are possible for making commercial devices. Features of the technology enable manufacturing via traditional thick-film processing methods widely used in the capacitor industry, or via advanced printing methods for state-of-the-art printed electronics. Future efforts will be made to advance the manufacturing and packaging processes to increase device energy density, including multilayer devices and packages