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Lithium-sulfur batteries store twice as much energy as lithium-ion batteries for the same weight. This property is particularly relevant for use in aerospace applications. In a new project of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, researchers led by the German Aerospace Center are developing a holistic approach to optimize lithium-sulfur batteries for aerospace applications. In the SulForFlight project, processes, simulation tools and workflows are being researched together with the TU Braunschweig and the Fraunhofer IWS that will allow the development of lithium-sulfur batteries with higher energy density, lower cost, better reliability and longer lifetime.

 

The use of lithium-sulfur batteries in aerospace applications places special demands on the batteries' energy density, operating conditions, service life and safety. In SulForFlight, the material selection, electrode and cell design, and processing are specifically coordinated. Experimental and virtual methods of battery research are efficiently combined in the project to reduce development times and costs. As a result, a wide range of battery performance characteristics can be flexibly mapped for different application scenarios.

 

In the future, this technology should make it possible to realize energy storage systems for alternative drive concepts in the aerospace industry. In addition, the approach can also be transferred to other fields of application.

 

The SulForFlight project (funding code 03XP0491) is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with around EUR 2.8 million as part of the Battery 2020 Transfer call. The funded project is coordinated by DLR and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).

Project partners are

 

German Aerospace Center, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt, Institut für Technische Thermodynamik (Koordination)