DARPA Solicitations

Limits of Thermodynamic Storage (LOTS) of Energy –DARPA is soliciting innovative proposals to develop revolutionary new approaches to portable energy sources.  The DARPA Limits Of Thermodynamic Storage (LOTS) of Energy program seeks to address inefficiencies in energy extraction by developing technologies that are capable of delivering the full expected run time out of a SOA portable energy source.  Utilizing the X590 form factor — BA5590 for primary or BB2590 for secondary energy sources — as a common initial goal, the LOTS of Energy program seeks to aggressively improve the performance of portable energy sources for the DoD.  For the purposes of this BAA, form factor is defined as the characteristic volume, weight voltage, environmental operating parameters, but NOT maximum current, maximum power, nor energy density.   Competitive proposals to the LOTS of Energy program will present a development plan for portable energy sources which innately or discretely hybridize different technologies in order to maximize energy extraction efficiency while meeting load power profiles having significant transient fluctuations.  It is anticipated that this may require developing novel electrodes, new electrolytes, advanced separator membranes, and/or novel power management circuitry for technologies such as electrochemical double layer capacitors, asymmetric electrochemical capacitors, and/or novel multi-functional electrochemical cells.  Proposal abstracts are due by 4:00PM ET, Thursday, December 10, 2009. Initial Full Proposals are due by 4:00PM ET, Wednesday, January 20, 2010.   DARPA-BAA-10-15