| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 02-II H4.01-8659 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 023340 ) |
| PHASE-I CONTRACT NUMBER: | NAS9-03029 |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Extravehicular Activity Productivity |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Fuel Cell/Li-ion Battery Hybrid Power System for Space Suits |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN:
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Lynntech, Inc.
7610 Eastmark Drive
College Station , TX 77840 - 4024
(979 ) 639 - 0017
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER:
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jeremy Steinshnider
jeremy.steinshnider@lynntech.com
7607 Eastmark Drive, Suite 102
College Station , TX 77840 - 4027
(979 ) 693 - 0017
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
With the ongoing construction of the international space station (ISS), as well as the ever-growing desire for manned missions to Mars, the duration and complexity of extravehicular activity (EVA) periods will increase. As a result, electrical power systems with higher capacities and broader capabilities necessary for extended EVA missions are urgently needed. Currently, electrical power is supplied by a variety of secondary (rechargeable) batteries, all with relatively low energy densities (30 ? 90 Wh/kg) and capable of fewer charge/discharge cycles than desired. This contributes to a substantial monetary cost. Achieving the increased capacity required for extended EVA periods will be difficult, if not impossible, with secondary batteries. A proton exchange membrane (PEM) Flatstack? Fuel Cell/Li-ion battery hybrid system, utilizing a rechargeable hydrogen storage unit, has both high efficiency and high power?to?weight and ?volume ratios. Lynntech Inc.?s patented PEM Flatstack? Fuel Cell technology is easily integrated with commercially-available hydrogen storage, Li-ion batteries, and power management controllers, making it ideally suited for the ever increasing demands of NASA and other aerospace applications.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Lynntech?s patented PEM Flatstack? Fuel Cell, when coupled with a Li-ion battery in a hybrid configuration, has both the high efficiency and high power to weight and volume ratios required for current and future EVA applications. With this hybrid power system, the multiple batteries currently used for space suit operations can be replaced with a single, centralized unit. The hybrid power system has the potential for much longer operating times than current rechargeable batteries alone. The components of a hybrid power system can be made lightweight at low cost, making it ideally suited for NASA and other aerospace applications.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Lynntech is heavily committed to developing hybrid power supplies utilizing Flatstack? Fuel Cells for portable electronics for both the government and commercially. With worldwide sales of portable electronics power packs at 620 million units in 2002 and projections approaching 1 billion units by 2007, Lynntech is receiving interest from industry and will pursue licensing opportunities in this market. With the move to wireless capability, portable electronics have dramatically increased power consumption and reduced battery operation time. Rechargeable batteries such as lithium ion can not keep up with the power demands of mobile phones, PDAs, or notebook computers.