The Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science has released a white paper detailing the research and development needed for the commercialization of electric aviation batteries.
The white paper explores research areas where the Department of Defense and NASA could spur innovation in electric propulsion batteries amid a projected emergence of the urban air mobility services market, Argonne National Laboratory said Monday.
The study suggests investments in next-generation lithium-ion chemistries under aviation conditions for use in both air taxis and 20-passenger commuter aircraft, and a focus on new designs, manufacturing approaches and high-temperature operations for solid-state batteries to power 50-passenger regional jets.
Meanwhile, the paper calls for studies on future high-energy systems such as sulfur-based batteries and hydrogen carriers to power electric single-aisle 737-class aircraft.
“The white paper findings provide a framework for the development of an investment strategy by the government agencies for battery technologies specific to electric aviation beyond the current level of investment in the automotive sector,” explained Ajay Misra, deputy R&D director at NASA's Glenn Research Institute.
ACCESS wrote the white paper with information gathered from a 2019 meeting on electric aviation batteries R&D between DOE and NASA representatives and experts from aircraft and vehicle companies, component manufacturers, and academic and national laboratory researchers.