Lithium Ion Batteries and Next Generation Energy Storage Technology - Adoption to Aircraft and Aerospace

Abstract

Lithium ion batteries provide a high energy to weight ratio making the technology attractive for aircraft and aerospace applications. Introducing lithium ion battery technology, as with other types of battery chemistries, can prove challenging for a variety of reasons. As electrical load demands for aircraft increase controlling and harnessing high energy dense solutions will become more critical. The presentation will begin with a basic introduction of lithium ion battery chemistry and evolve into a discussion on the role various aspects play in safely implementing lithium ion batteries on aircraft including the key design drivers and issues that influence system safety. The presentation will also cover key operational modes, applied to aircraft in general, that can drive risk and effect a prudent power system design (cell overheating, voltage “sag” below minimums at low temperatures, etc.) in the integration of battery technologies to an aircraft. Battery design features and attributes that relate to typical operating modes in an airborne platform will also be discussed in some detail. The presentation will next evolve into a narrative on next generation energy storage technologies and supercapacitors (electric double layer devices) and their potential role in evolving airborne applications. Implementation of higher surge supportable energy storage designs, again driven by considerations at cold temperature conditions, will also be discussed. Energy and power density "road mapping targets" for evolving applications will be highlighted along with issues that influence nominal values including, but not limited to, operating temperature (cold and hot temperature extremes) typical of battery installations in harsher Aerospace environments. An illustration will be provided in the presentation of what the ideal aircraft battery looks like including the ability to float on an unregulated aircraft bus (without Batter Management Electronics) with large voltage swings, ripple content as well as other “nice to haves” (including higher packaged battery system Whrs and kilo-Watts per kilo gram than existing). A final summary will wrap up the discussion with an overview of the presentation material.