SBIR-STTR Award

Future satellite systems and interplanetary missions are projected to require power electronics and energy storage systems that are less massive and smaller than the current State of the Art. Modern CubeSats rely heavily on solar panels to provide the necessary energy for operation. Additionally, radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are the primary source of energy responsible for supporting long duration missions where other sources of energy are not available or are logistically prohibitive to utilize. In both cases, to satisfy the electrical requirements of higher powered loads Li-ion battery solutions must increase in both weight and size.FastCAP Systems is proposing an ultracapacitor based hybrid power supply (HPS) to dramatically reduce the size and weight of conventional high power energy storage solutions while increasing power handling capability. The proposed system will incorporate FastCAPs patented technology for harsh environment and ruggedized ultracapacitors already proven in the oil and gas industry and currently being developed across multiple grants for space exploration. The targeted application that this proposal will focus on is a high power (> 100W) HPS for integration into CubeSats.Ultracapacitors have a relatively high power density that is roughly 10 to 100 times greater than Li-ion batteries and can be integrated into an energy storage system to both increase power handling capability and reduce the weight and size of a system designed for Li-ion batteries alone. The HPS will be responsible for charging and managing its ultracapacitor banks as well as performing system diagnostics that can be reported through the unit's communication port. The system will embrace modular design techniques similar to those already employed by FastCAP's energy exploration systems and consist of two modules.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications:
(Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) Hybrid ultracapacitor based power supplies (HPS) enable high power density well beyond traditional capabilities of bulk energy storage such as Li-Ion batteries. The targeted application that this proposal will focus on is a high power (> 100W) HPS for integration into CubeSats. The CubeSat platform was chosen for its inherent size and weight restrictions but as a relatively low cost and standardized platform for this new technology. Future development of ultracapacitor based HPS systems will leverage the size, weight, and performance benefits demonstrated on the CubeSat platform for expansion into larger more powerful systems. Beyond CubeSats, ultracapacitor based power systems enable any platform that incorporates low power energy generation to reduce the mass and volume of its energy storage while improving power bus regulation and system efficiency. For example, RTG, flywheel, and photovoltaic platforms typically include battery packs for storage and high power delivery that can be made smaller and lighter while enabling substantially higher power delivery. Furthermore, the use of ultracapacitor systems enable efficient point of load (POL) generation and power delivery, reducing system complexity, wiring harness size, and enabling new sensing architectures. Additional applications include weather balloon communication and sensing, extravehicular activity (EVA) suits, satellite load deployment, vehicle separation stages, and many more.

Potential NON-NASA Commercial Applications:
(Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) Hybrid ultra-capacitor power systems find potential applications in many fields where high power density is critical for operation. FastCAP's ruggedized system designs and large temperature range find immediate application in NASA applications as well as other applications within military, automotive, and aerospace industries.FastCAP's hybrid technology is of interest to the military to reduce the size and weight of existing battery storage while improving power density. For example, assisted human exo-skeletons are wearable mobile systems intended to assist a soldier in physical tasks that would other be too difficult to complete without machinery. High power density power systems are required in order to be light enough be worn while powerful enough to power exoskeleton motors. Other uses included compact missile power systems where fast deployment of loads or motor actuation is required in a very small, ruggedized form factor. Additionally, micro-grid technology often integral to special operations units, can be benefitted for mass and volume reduction while supporting the array of communication, sensing, and life support systems typically power by solar panels and lithium batteries.Finally, the aerospace and automotive industries are primarily concerned with mass reduction, safety, and cost reduction. All of these come with reducing the amount of lithium required for storage, shipping, and integration into power systems in planes and automotive vehicles.

Technology Taxonomy Mapping:
(NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.) Conversion Distribution/Management Prototyping Storage

Traditionally, the relatively small surface area and volume of a cube satellite has restricted the practical power limit of cube satellites. To the extent that the power will be generated by solar panels, cube satellites have a limited round trip energy budget. Increasing solar panel efficiency and complexity alleviates the energy issue to some degree. Both however, occur at the expense of the original cube satellite advantages of being inexpensive, small, and reliable. As such, the objective of high power capabilities must also assume fairly short time scales in order to preserve the energy budget. It's this mode of operation, maximum energy and short high power events, where hybrid system designs typically make practical sense.In all cases, the energy storage requirements will depend on the payloads power profile and mission requirements. Cube satellite payloads are becoming more sophisticated and, in many cases, power hungry. Interesting high power payloads currently in development for small satellites include Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and mechanical actuators for performing larger satellite maintenance. In order to continue the trend of increasing cube satellite capabilities, it's important to be ready with energy storage that is both capable of supplying high power and flexible to suit the range of payload possibilities.The hybrid ultracapacitor module proposed is a flexible, high efficiency, novel design that will enable satellite engineers to quickly and easily realize benefits such as extended battery lifetime, high peak power, and smaller size and weight that may be possible through a hybrid energy storage system. Additionally, the technology will translate to additional multifunctional, structural applications such as microsatellites, light aircraft, ordinance, and many more.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications:
(Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) Hybrid ultracapacitor power supplies enable high power density well beyond traditional capabilities of bulk Li-Ion battery storage. The targeted application that this proposal will focus on is a high power (> 100W) HPS for integration into CubeSats. The CubeSat platform was chosen for its inherent size and weight restrictions and as a relatively low cost and standardized platform for this new technology. Future development of ultracapacitor based HPS systems will leverage the size, weight, and performance benefits demonstrated on the CubeSat platform for expansion into larger more powerful systems. Beyond cube satellites, hybrid power systems have applications in which there are high peak power but relatively low average power demands. Such systems include microsatellites, motor actuation, stage separation, burst radar and communication systems, and pulsed laser systems. The multifunctional structural technology included in the ultracapacitor cell and module design have numerous NASA applications. Multifunctional energy storage design seeks to improve overall energy and power density by incorporating energy storage into devices that traditionally serve a different function. The cell under development is a structural cell that may be incorporated into structures such as airplane housings for light electric aircraft, satellite frames, actuator casings, and many more. With a high temperature chemistry, the cell may also be used for heat sinking and back-up power storage.



Potential NON-NASA Commercial Applications:
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(Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) The cube satellite platform is a fast growing market both in academia and industry. Many companies are also growing to develop larger microsatellites as the technology and business is proven on cube satellites. This technology is easily translated to all cube satellite and microsatellite developers. Beyond satellites, the multifunctional structural technology has garnered a significant amount of interest by other government groups and companies for a wide range of application. The structural technology is able to conform to custom shapes to provide high efficiency, long life cycle energy storage in areas where it was impractical to do so previously. For example, the cell may be shaped to conform to void spaces in small aircraft such as drones and ordinance missiles. With FastCap's high temperature electrode and electrolyte, the same technology can be used as heat sinks for power loss back up supplies on memory and computation boards. With the progression of light aircraft and electric automobiles, the structural cell is being considered to drastically improve system level energy and power density. Additionally, long lifetime and ultra-high reliability system such as smart weaponry and land mines are beginning to realize the benefits of a ruggedized structural cell for pulse communication, actuation, and ignition. FastCap is aggressively pursuing all of these opportunities with Phase II funding a critical element in achieving their technological goals.

Technology Taxonomy Mapping:
(NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.) Actuators & Motors Circuits (including ICs; for specific applications, see e.g., Communications, Networking & Signal Transport; Control & Monitoring, Sensors) Conversion Distribution/Management Manufacturing Methods Nanomaterials Robotics (see also Control & Monitoring; Sensors) Smart/Multifunctional Materials Storage Structures