Session
Weekday Session 11: Advanced Technologies II
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Small spacecraft battery packs are both mass and cost prohibitive if they are to meet the thermal runaway requirements for manned missions. Exploratory Mission 1 (EM-1), also known as Artemis 1 had 13 secondary, intended small spacecraft payloads. Many of these payloads would have exceeded the 80WHr energy threshold, and these would have been required to adhere to thermal runaway standard JSC 20793. All 13 payloads were covered under the EM-1 thermal runaway waiver for secondary payloads; however, EM-2 is not expected to grant such waivers. Further, the EM-2 secondary small spacecraft payloads are growing in size and the battery packs are expected to grow proportionately. Higher energy batteries with low probability of waivers indicates most payloads will be expected to meet JSC 20793 Rev. D – Crewed Space Vehicle Battery Safety Requirements. However, the mass and cost of traditional battery pack technologies will be a major challenge at best – if not completely prohibitive. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in partnership with KULR Technology Corp, sought to create an advanced manufactured battery architecture to solve the problem. The team developed a prototype 3D-printed enclosure with mesh filters, carbon vents, and a KULR proprietary liquid-filled carbon fiber wrap. The battery design is based on 18650 lithium-ion cells and is adaptable to different form factors. KULR’s designs for passive propagation resistance (PPR) had been previously demonstrated to be effective in a prototype 1U CubeSat battery pack but was only built to test the thermal features of the design. The mechanical design required advancement of the system in order to meet vibration requirements for launch to space. Tolerance to vacuum also required investigation and modest design changes. In addition to internal strengthening features, the project’s next-gen prototype incorporates advanced 3D-printed materials developed at MSFC. The prototypes contained 8 cells in the slightly larger than ½-U volume, but the design is readily adapted to fewer cells if desired for a particular program. The solution is significantly lower mass and lower cost than prior state-of-the-art technology. Further, the solution can be commercialized into a COTS option for secondary payloads and other applications where battery mass is critical. In addition to cost and weight savings, these designs can likely be adapted, produced, and assembled on a faster timeline than designs built from traditionally machined components.
KULR One Space
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Small spacecraft battery packs are both mass and cost prohibitive if they are to meet the thermal runaway requirements for manned missions. Exploratory Mission 1 (EM-1), also known as Artemis 1 had 13 secondary, intended small spacecraft payloads. Many of these payloads would have exceeded the 80WHr energy threshold, and these would have been required to adhere to thermal runaway standard JSC 20793. All 13 payloads were covered under the EM-1 thermal runaway waiver for secondary payloads; however, EM-2 is not expected to grant such waivers. Further, the EM-2 secondary small spacecraft payloads are growing in size and the battery packs are expected to grow proportionately. Higher energy batteries with low probability of waivers indicates most payloads will be expected to meet JSC 20793 Rev. D – Crewed Space Vehicle Battery Safety Requirements. However, the mass and cost of traditional battery pack technologies will be a major challenge at best – if not completely prohibitive. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in partnership with KULR Technology Corp, sought to create an advanced manufactured battery architecture to solve the problem. The team developed a prototype 3D-printed enclosure with mesh filters, carbon vents, and a KULR proprietary liquid-filled carbon fiber wrap. The battery design is based on 18650 lithium-ion cells and is adaptable to different form factors. KULR’s designs for passive propagation resistance (PPR) had been previously demonstrated to be effective in a prototype 1U CubeSat battery pack but was only built to test the thermal features of the design. The mechanical design required advancement of the system in order to meet vibration requirements for launch to space. Tolerance to vacuum also required investigation and modest design changes. In addition to internal strengthening features, the project’s next-gen prototype incorporates advanced 3D-printed materials developed at MSFC. The prototypes contained 8 cells in the slightly larger than ½-U volume, but the design is readily adapted to fewer cells if desired for a particular program. The solution is significantly lower mass and lower cost than prior state-of-the-art technology. Further, the solution can be commercialized into a COTS option for secondary payloads and other applications where battery mass is critical. In addition to cost and weight savings, these designs can likely be adapted, produced, and assembled on a faster timeline than designs built from traditionally machined components.
