Enhancements    

3D PRINTING OF SODIUM-ION BATTERIES FROM LUNAR AND MARTIAN REGOLITH

3D PRINTING OF SODIUM-ION BATTERIES FROM LUNAR AND MARTIAN REGOLITH
PI: Eric MacDonald
Co-PI: Sreeprasad Sreenivasan, Ana C Martinez Maciel, Alexis Maurel
Sponsor: NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Mechanical Engineering
Amount awarded: $614,999

By leveraging two 3D printing processes (material extrusion and vat photopolymerization), shape-conformable 3D sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) will be produced, leading to embedded devices that minimize dead-volume and present improved performance. This project is driven by the abundance of SIB primary components in Lunar and Martian regolith and will use materials obtainable from in situ resource utilization (ISRU) through tailored ionic liquid extraction. In the future, SIBs could provide improved safety, theoretical faster charge and higher performances compared to lithium-ion batteries. Combined with additive processes for electronics and ceramics, key components and features for batteries such as thermal, electronic, and load management will be embedded - creating compact, conformal, smart batteries. This disruptive technology will change the landscape of areas such as portable power for Lunar/Martian construction, sustaining human missions on the Moon/Mars, and robotic/rover miniaturization.

Posting date: Tue, 09/21/2021

Award start date: Fri, 10/01/2021
Award end date: Sat, 09/30/2023