Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) working on the Solid State Structural Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety (SABERS) project have made progress in developing an innovative battery pack that is lighter, safer and better performing than the batteries commonly used today in electric vehicles and large electronics. Their work aims to improve battery technology by investigating the use of solid-state batteries in aerospace applications, such as electric aircraft and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).
Unlike industry-standard lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries do not contain liquids, which can lead to harmful conditions such as overheating, fires and loss of charge over time. Compared to standard lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries can store more energy and perform better in extreme environments.
Battery performance is a key aspect of developing electric aircraft, and these batteries must efficiently store the enormous amount of energy needed to power the aircraft while remaining lightweight. Moreover, the batteries must release energy at an ultra-fast rate to power the electric aircraft.
To achieve this, the SABERS team has experimented with innovative materials not yet used in batteries that have made significant advances in power discharge. In the past year, they have managed to increase the discharge rate of the batteries by a factor of 50, bringing the researchers closer to their goal of powering large vehicles.
This illustration depicts the interior of a SABERS solid-state battery
In addition to the new materials, the NASA team used revolutionary battery packaging, which made it possible to reduce much of the weight of the battery and increase the amount of energy that could be stored. Unlike ordinary batteries that are individually packaged and joined together, SABERS’ batteries are all stacked vertically inside a single housing. With this design, SABERS has demonstrated that solid-state batteries can achieve energy densities of up to 500 watt-hours per kilogram, more than twice that of modern electric vehicle batteries. For comparison, Tesla’s 4680 battery currently has an individual energy density of about 300 Watt-hours/kilogram and a pack energy density of 217 Watt-hours/kilogram. The third-generation CTP Kirin battery released by Ningde Times has an energy density of 255 Watt-hours/kilogram.
This design not only reduces the weight of the battery by 30 to 40 percent, but it also allows us to double or even triple the amount of energy it can store, far exceeding the capabilities of what is considered the most advanced lithium-ion battery,” said Rocco Viggiano, principal investigator for SABERS at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “
In addition, solid-state batteries do not catch fire in the event of a failure and can still operate when damaged, making them attractive for use in aerospace applications. researchers at SABERS have tested their battery at different pressures and temperatures and found that it can operate at almost twice the temperature of lithium-ion batteries without requiring as much cooling technology. The team is continuing to test at even higher temperatures and pressures, pushing the limits of the technology.
SABERS has worked with several partners, including Georgia Tech, Argonne National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to further advance this cutting-edge research.
