SBIR Phase I: New and Improved Zinc-Air Battery System and Devices

这项小型企业创新研究第一期项目将开发一系列新一代的一次和可充电锌空气电池。每个单元将使用新的和改进的内部设计，并将在其组成中纳入一系列新材料和创新技术解决方案。计划对电池的材料清单进行全面修订。后者将寻求提高电池的实际比能，大大提高操作使用寿命，提高倍率性能，防止由于阳极腐蚀而导致的电池内气体析出，并使电池能够更好地抵抗湿度的影响。新产品概念应组装成三种标准单元尺寸（例如LR 2450、AA和D），并对其内部设计进行独特的修改，并与其参考同行进行测试，以总结其性能优势，并为原型和商业化奠定基础。最终目标是制造出比能量达到550+Wh/kg的电池（达到这一数值将使该技术比行业领先品牌提高25%）。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是将新的和改进的锌空气电池和电池商业化。它们具有被市场成功采用的巨大潜力。预计需求受多个因素驱动，其中主要因素是目前由传统锌空气电池组成的大量安装基础。后者是助听器医疗设备中的首选技术。在发达国家人口老龄化的推动下，助听器设备的采用率将以一定的速度增长，预计到2017年，全球锌空气系统市场将达到4亿美元。此外，Zinc-Airs将继续在军队的一些利基市场中使用。为特定电池确定的其他三个有利可图的机会是公用事业的能量存储，无人值守RFID，自主健康监测系统和固定电源。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a series of primary and rechargeable Zinc-Air batteries of new generation. Individual cells will use a new and improved interior design, as well as will incorporate in their composition a host of novel materials and innovative technological solutions. A complete revision of the bill of materials for the battery is planned. The latter will seek to enhance practical Specific Energy of cells, dramatically boosting operational service life, increasing rate capability, preventing in-cell gassing due to corrosion of the anode, and making cells that can better resist the effects of humidity. New product concepts shall be assembled into three standard cell sizes (e.g. LR2450, AA and D) of uniquely modified interior design, and tested against their reference counterparts, so as to conclude on their performance advantages, and to establish grounds for prototyping and commercialization. The ultimate goal is to build cells that will demonstrate Specific Energy of 550+Wh/kg (achieving this value would put this technology at 25% improvement over industry leading brands).The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to commercialize new and improved Zinc-Air Batteries and cells. They hold a tremendous potential for successful adoption by the market. The projected demand is driven by a number of factors, with the major one being a substantial installed base currently populated by the conventional Zinc-Air batteries. The latter is the technology of choice in the hearing aid medical devices. Driven by the aging population in the developed countries, the adoption of hearing aid devices is due to increase at a rate, which is forecasted to drive the market for Zinc-Air systems to $400M worldwide by 2017. Also, Zinc-Airs will continue to be used in some niches with the military. Three other lucrative opportunities identified for the specific battery is in the energy storage for utilities, unattended RFIDs, autonomous health monitoring systems and stationary power supplies.