IARPA posts energy storage RFI

On August 23, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) posted a request for information for energy storage systems. Responses are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on September 23.

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) is issuing a request for information (RFI) on energy storage systems and components, solely for information gathering and planning purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals. The following sections of this announcement contain details of the scope of technical efforts of interest, along with instructions for the submission of responses.

The use of portable electronic devices, and high-power electric vehicle systems have increased dramatically in the 21st century, changing how people travel, communicate, and process information. Increasingly, these systems are becoming indispensable components of everyday life.

This RFI seeks information regarding technologies for high-power/high-energy portable energy storage devices (Category 1, below), as well as technologies that will make these storage devices robust to prolonged times of operation and/or storage at high ambient temperatures (Category 2, below). Since greater energy density and robust performance at high temperatures are different kinds of problems with high importance, IARPA has listed these needs as two separate categories below. If a technology could help to solve both of these needs simultaneously, it would be of particularly strong interest. Category 1 describes a power source for electric propulsion systems in air, sea and land vehicles. Category 2 concerns energy storage technology for computation and communications devices such as cell phones that is designed to survive use in high temperature environments, such as hot cars in the summer months.

IARPA is looking for information on electrical energy storage systems or associated technologies with the performance characteristics listed below. We are interested in existing commercial products, emerging concepts requiring research, as well as a mix of both. For all categories, IARPA seeks approaches with sufficient proof-of-concept test data to demonstrate how the desired performance characteristics might be achieved. For existing systems, please describe how the technology currently meets, or may need to be modified to meet the metrics below. Technologies of interest include batteries, fuel cells, fuel sources, materials, membranes or other components or experimental concepts that may be used to construct an energy storage system.

Full information is available here.

Source: FedBizOpps