The United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed a revolutionary new battery that could power the country’s return to the moon while potentially revolutionizing the way we power electric vehicles here on Earth. The new technology can operate at extremely cold temperatures, opening up new possibilities for powering lunar vehicles and tools, and could eventually make batteries for terrestrial applications safer, more versatile and more efficient. “The technology could eventually power lunar rovers, scientific instruments and emergency equipment used by astronauts under NASA’s Artemis program,” states a recent report from Interesting Engineering. “However, the batteries remain small laboratory prototypes and have not yet been demonstrated in space,” the article continues. During thermal vacuum testing conducted as part of NASA’s Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space (SPEARS) project, the new ‘freeze-proof’ solid-state battery has successfully withstood temperatures as low as minus 274 degrees Fahrenheit (-170 degrees Celsius). In addition to surviving these super-low temperatures without damage, prototype batteries were shown to operate (albeit at a reduced performance level) in temperatures as low as minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 80 degrees Celsius), with more optimal performance levels in the extremely impressive range of negative -76 degrees Fahrenheit to positive 176 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 60 to 80 degrees Celsius). These findings are a major victory for the SPEARS project, which is tasked with developing batteries that can survive the extremely harsh lunar environment without a constant source of heat to prevent them from freezing and therefore being damaged. At the Moon’s south pole, where the United States intends to go, temperatures can drop to minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 200 degrees Celsius). Traditional lithium-ion battery models are no match for such harsh conditions. Typically, lithium-ion batteries pass lithium ions from one electrode to another through liquid electrolytes. Solid-state batteries are therefore a much more promising technology for extreme cold, as they do not carry the same risk of freezing in the cold and malfunctioning in the heat. Additionally, the liquid electrolytes used in typical lithium-ion batteries are highly flammable and are becoming an increasingly serious fire hazard around the world. “Solid electrolytes, plain and simple, provide a safer, more stable environment for lithium ions to move around, allowing for faster charging,” Popular Mechanics wrote late last year in an article on emerging electric vehicle (EV) battery technologies. While the electric vehicle industry doesn’t need batteries that can withstand temperatures hundreds of degrees below zero (at least not until Elon Musk colonizes Mars), NASA’s incredible advances in solid-state battery technologies could provide critical science and technology for the sector. The findings from the SPEARS project “could eventually be translated into commercial terrestrial applications,” according to a recent report from HotHardware. “Space-rated solid-state technology could very well improve the safety, temperature tolerance, and efficiency of terrestrial electronic devices, including electric vehicles, commercial drones, mobile phones, and grid-scale energy storage systems that operate in extreme climates. For electric vehicles specifically, this battery advancement could, in theory, lead to longer ranges in colder climates and/or during the frigid winter months.” NASA has also partnered with the United States Department of Energy to develop next-generation nuclear power technologies to fuel a new era of deep space exploration. “We are entering the ‘NASA nuclear age,’ which represents a major transformation for space exploration,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said earlier this month. “Nuclear power will allow us to go further, operate longer, and have more capable spacecraft and instruments than ever before. The work we are doing today is laying the foundation for the fission-powered spacecraft of tomorrow and opening up an entirely new frontier for exploration and discovery.”By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.comMore Top Reads from Oilprice.com
