NASA Group Exploring Radical Ways To Make A Better Battery

Good question. And a NASA project dubbed SABERS (Soli-state Architecture for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety) is exploring new materials and construction methods to build a better battery.

The project has determined that solid-state batteries, which don't have any liquid in their design, is the way to get there. "A solid-state sulfur-selenium battery is cool to the touch and doesn't catch fire," said Rocco Viggiano, lead SABERS researcher at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. "It has a slimmer profile than lithium-ion batteries and has better energy storage. It can take a beating and still operate, often in less-than-ideal conditions." And you just have to pay attention to someone at NASA named "Rocco." 

The project is exploring elements that have not yet been used together to form a battery. A component called "holey graphene" (named for the holes in its surface to allow air to pass through) has shown high levels of electrical conductivity.  The NASA-developed component is ultra-lightweight and environmentally friendly. "This material has never been used in battery systems, and we are combining it with other materials that have never been used," Viggiano said.

SABERS researchers have almost doubled this discharge rate of solid-state batteries, meaning that they could feasibly power larger electronics. "With more development, we can improve that rate even further," Viggiano said. The next step for SABERS is to run the battery design through its paces. This will include testing how it works in practical situations, making sure it's safe, and gathering data on its performance. If successful, the design could be optimized even further.

Meanwhile, safety remains the number one consideration, especially in the field of air mobility. For obvious reasons, those safety standards need to be higher than those associated with the automotive industry.