SATPC0031047 Tab 04 SOW.pdf

Evaluation of Metal Coated Plastic Current Collectors in 21700 cells

Statement of Work 22 Mar 2023

1.0 Objective – NASA seeks to evaluate innovative current collectors and separators for preventing thermal runaway responses to cell internal short circuits in high energy density Li-ion 21700 cells.

2.0 Scope – The contractor shall adapt one of their existing 21700 cell designs (≥ 5.0Ah) and use metallized plastic current collectors and advanced separators to evaluate their safety merits versus the control cell design. The contractor shall make 4 different batches of cells sized for a total quantity not exceeding 200 cells through assembly and formation. All cell batches shall use a common Li-ion separator without shut down capability.

3.0 Background – Soteria and Meta Materials have developed current collector and separator technologies with promise to interrupt internal short circuits due to internal cell defects or mechanical abuse and significantly mitigating the hazards of Li-ion cell thermal runaway. NREL/NASA has patented a low temperature, on-demand internal short circuit (ISC) trigger device.

4.0 Input Materials – The contractor shall buy ISC devices from KULR Technology that are compatible with the cell design and produce a cathode collector to anode active material short. The contractor will receive NASA’s plastic current collectors and Dreamweaver Separator from Soteria and analog materials from Meta Materials.

5.0 Tasks – The contractor shall perform the following tasks;

5.1 Electrode Coating, Calendaring, and Slitting – The contractor shall establish parameters for slurry coating, calendaring, and slitting cathode electrodes with the plastic current collectors. The contractor shall make sufficient quantities of 6 types of electrodes listed below to enable the cell assemblies specified in 5.3

5.1.1 Anode with standard collector

5.1.2 Cathode with standard collector

5.1.3 Cathode with Soteria Al coated plastic collector

5.1.4 Anode with Soteria Cu coated plastic collector

5.1.5 Cathode with Meta Al coated plastic collector (Pcore)

5.1.6 Anode with Meta Cu coated plastic collector (Ncore)

5.2 Jellyroll Winding – The contractor shall make sufficient electrode jellyrolls to enable the cell assembly specified in 5.3. This process shall include implanting the ISC device 3 winds into the middle of the jellyroll in the batches specified in 5.3. The serial number of the ISC device shall be tracked with each jelly roll to allow traceability at the cell assembly. The clocking orientation of the ISCD device shall be marked on the jellyroll to allow that marking to be transferred to the cell can wall.

5.3 Cell Assembly - The contractor shall size the cell builds to make a maximum of the following complete cell batch assemblies through formation and charge retention checks over a minimum 1 week period after filling;

5.3.1 Group N47 – Control cells (Graphite/polypro sep/NMC811) – these are already built and delivered through 80NSSC23PA661.

5.3.2 Group N41 – Replace Al foil in N47 cells with Soteria Al PCC– these are already built and delivered through 80NSSC23PA661.

5.3.3 Group N43 – Replace Al foil and polypro sep in N47 cells with Soteria Al PCC and Dreamweaver Gold cellulose separator. (qty 50)

5.3.4 Group N45 – Replace Al and Cu foils and separator in N47 cells with Soteria Al and Cu PCCs and Dreamweaver Gold cellulose separator. (qty 50)

5.3.5 Group N51 – Replace Al and Cu foils in N47 cells with Soteria Al PCC and Meta Ncore Cu PCC. (To be funded by Meta) (qty TBD)

5.3.6 Group N53 – Replace Al and Cu foils and separator in N47 cells with Soteria Al PCC + ceramic separator + Ncore Cu PCC. (To be funded by Meta) (qty TBD)

5.3.7 Group N55 – Replace Al and Cu foils and separator in N47 cells with Pcore Al PCC + ceramic separator + Ncore Cu PCC. (To be funded by Meta) (qty TBD)

5.4 Cell Charge Formation and Conditioning – The contractor shall perform charge formation and conditioning on each cell.

5.5 Cell Screening – The contractor shall perform charge retention testing for at least 1 week to assess the charge retention quality of each control cell.

5.6 Cell testing – the contractor shall perform nail penetration abuse test on 1 cell from each group of cells.

5.7 Cell Shipping Preparation – The contractor shall set each passing cell to 5% State of Charge and package them in different batches to be picked by a ground shipper designated by and paid for by NASA.

5.8 Deliverables – The contractor shall provide the following deliverables according to below.

Item Description Time after Contract Start Date

(CSD)

1 Cell materials list Upon CSD 2 Coating Report for 5.1 No later than(NLT) 30 days after

CSD

3 Control cell assembly and conditioning report NLT 45 days after CSD 4 Remaining cell assembly and conditioning report NLT 75 days after CSD

5 Report on charge retention and packaging of all cells

NLT 90 days after CSD