TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Ground/Sea Vehicles

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program

OBJECTIVE: Develop an electrical energy storage device capable of increased power and energy density, improved safety, and longer service life.

DESCRIPTION: Naval aircraft presently use Lead-acid and Nickel-Cadmium batteries to perform engine and auxiliary power unit (APU) starts, provide fill-in power in emergency situations, and various other specialized functions. In order to improve energy and power density, the Navy is currently looking to develop and transition Lithium-ion chemistries to Naval aviation applications. The main batteries used aboard the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) are a 28 Volt Direct Current (DC) and a 270 Volt DC Lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion chemistries that are presently common-place in the battery industry will be challenged by emerging and future requirements of Naval aviation applications. An energy storage device to manage peak and regenerative power levels of approximately 50 - 150 kW for electric actuators will be required as more energy optimized aircraft are developed. Also, the use of Directed Energy Weapons on Naval aircraft will place extreme demands on the aircraft electrical system to provide sufficient power.

The purpose of this topic is to develop 28 Volt DC and 270 Volt DC electrical energy storage devices utilizing technologies including, but not limited to, advanced lithium chemistries (lithium-air, lithium-sulphur, etc.), advanced capacitor technologies, or a battery-capacitor hybrid system. The energy storage system should demonstrate an energy density exceeding the 200 Wh/kg energy density threshold and 1500 W/kg power density threshold of present Lithium-ion chemistries. If advanced capacitor technologies are proposed, the energy storage system should demonstrate energy densities of 5-10 Wh/kg and power densities of 5,000-10,000 W/kg. The system should be functional and stable under aircraft operational, electrical, and environmental requirements. Such requirements should include, but are not limited to, operation over a wide temperature range (from -40C to +71C) with exposure of up to +85C, to an altitude of up to 65,000 feet, under carrier based vibration and shock loads, and electromagnetic interference of up to 200 V/m. Innovation will be necessary to meet additional requirements of low self-discharge (<5% per month), good cycle life (>5,000 at 100% depth of discharge cycles), and long calendar life (>5 years service life). Safety requirements of the proposed technology should be addressed along with improved self-diagnostic/prognostic capabilities to enhance safety and service life.

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed energy storage device. Provide an initial manufacturability assessment and production cost estimates.

PHASE II: Develop, build and demonstrate a prototype energy storage device. Perform functional test and evaluation. Validate the prototypes ability to meet Naval Aviation requirements.

PHASE III: Integrate the energy storage device into JSF aircraft power system including ground and flight demonstrations. Work with weapon system contractor to transition technology across naval platforms.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The results of this work can be directly applied to enhance or develop energy storage devices for use on commercial ground, aviation and maritime vehicle applications.

REFERENCES:
1. Wheeler, P., Clare, J., & Bozhko, S. (2008). Regeneration in Aircraft Electrical Power Systems; Proceedings of the SAE 2008 Power Systems Conference. http://www.sae.org/technical/papers/2008-01-2898

2. MIL-STD-810G - Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests

3. MIL-STD-704F - Aircraft Electric Power Characteristics

4. MIL-STD-461E - Requirements for the Control of Electromagnetic Interference Characteristics of Subsystems and Equipment

KEYWORDS: Energy Storage; Electrical Systems; Aviation; Lithium; Battery; Capacitor

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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