DARPA is soliciting innovative proposals to develop revolutionary new approaches to portable energy sources. The proposed energy sources must be explicitly capable of handling arbitrary power loads of average power between 5 and 50 watts which may also contain significant (up 100-watts) transient spikes.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is critically dependent on portable electronics and, by extension, portable energy sources such as batteries. However, the actual energy output of state-of-the-art (SOA) battery technologies, such as the BA5590 LiSO2 primary and BB2590 Li-ion secondary systems, fall short of their projected energy capacity under load, limiting run time of DoD electronic systems to as little as 20% of theoretical capability. This operational inefficiency increases the number of batteries soldiers must carry in the field and also limits implementation of hybridization and distributed power concepts for DoD ground, aerial, and maritime vehicle platforms.
The DARPA Limits Of Thermodynamic Storage (LOTS) of Energy program seeks to address inefficiencies in energy extraction by developing technologies that are capable of delivering the full expected run time out of a SOA portable energy source. Utilizing the X590 form factor -- BA5590 for primary or BB2590 for secondary energy sources -- as a common initial goal, the LOTS of Energy program seeks to aggressively improve the performance of portable energy sources for the DoD. For the purposes of this BAA, form factor is defined as the characteristic volume, weight voltage, environmental operating parameters, but NOT maximum current, maximum power, nor energy density.
Competitive proposals to the LOTS of Energy program will present a development plan for portable energy sources which innately or discretely hybridize different technologies in order to maximize energy extraction efficiency while meeting load power profiles having significant transient fluctuations. It is anticipated that this may require developing novel electrodes, new electrolytes, advanced separator membranes, and/or novel power management circuitry for technologies such as electrochemical double layer capacitors, asymmetric electrochemical capacitors, and/or novel multi-functional electrochemical cells.
The proposed energy sources must match the X590 form factor without any additional cables or changes to the external equipment powered by the energy source. Specifically, DARPA seeks to maximize the utilization of portable energy sources (batteries, etc.) up to their theoretical limit under real load power profiles which include significant transient discharging and/or charging power spikes. All possible approaches, and combinations of approaches, will be considered including, but not limited to:
- hybridization via discrete components within the form factor of the energy source (e.g.: packaged electrochemical capacitor plus packaged battery)
- innate hybridization via development of multi-functional electrochemical cells (e.g.: a cell with both capacitive and faradaic energy storage functions)
- performance optimization via use of power management circuits
Hybridizing new technologies with SOA energy sources such as commercially available or prototype batteries is a valid means to achieve the program goals. While the X590 form factor is the initial goal, the proposed technology should be explicitly compatible with hybridization to a variety of energy sources (batteries, fuel cells, Stirling engines, etc.) via straightforward iterative engineering of packaging, connections, etc.
The energy storage technology must be capable of being produced in a commercial process which is economically scalable. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing SOA. However, integration of low-cost disposable power management circuits to fully utilize the energy storage of other high-risk improvements is specifically encouraged as part of the overall proposed solution.
Collaborative efforts/teaming are encouraged. Collaborative efforts/teaming are encouraged. A teaming website, http://www.sainc.com/LOTSTeaming, will facilitate the formation of teams with the necessary expertise
DARPA-BAA-10-15
Type: Other (Draft RFPs/RFIs, Responses to Questions, etc..)
Posted Date: November 18, 2009
Type: Other (Draft RFPs/RFIs, Responses to Questions, etc..)
Posted Date: November 18, 2009
BAA DARPA-BAA-10-15.doc (354.00Kb)
DARPA-BAA-10-15 Appendix A and B
Type: Other (Draft RFPs/RFIs, Responses to Questions, etc..)
Posted Date: November 18, 2009
DARPA-BAA-10-15 Appendix A and B
Type: Other (Draft RFPs/RFIs, Responses to Questions, etc..)
Posted Date: November 18, 2009
Appendix A and B.pdf (461.72 Kb)
Description: DARPA-BAA-10-15 Appendix A and B
Points of Contact
The Technical POC for this effort is Brian Holloway.
E-mail: DARPA-BAA-10-15@darpa.mil
The BAA Administrator for this effort can be reached at:
Electronic mail: DARPA-BAA-10-15@darpa.mil
DARPA/DSO
ATTN: DARPA-BAA-10-15
3701 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203-1714
Email: DARPA-BAA-10-15@darpa.mil
