Battery developer Addionics launches low-temperature architecture

(SpaceEnergy) Battery developer Addionics has launched a low-temperature architecture designed to preserve lithium-ion battery performance in cold environments, including spacecraft applications.

The company’s Smart 3D Porous Current Collectors replace conventional flat metal foils with porous structures that create additional pathways for electrolyte and lithium ions through the electrode. Addionics said this reduces transport distances and improves access to active material as temperatures fall.

For spacecraft, Addionics said improved cold-temperature battery performance could reduce heater-energy requirements, thermal hardware and stored-energy needs, with potential reductions across battery, solar-array and launch mass.

The architecture does not heat the battery or alter its chemistry. Addionics said it instead enables existing materials to retain more usable energy and available power while reducing dependence on prolonged preheating.

The technology is chemistry-agnostic and designed for integration with existing battery manufacturing processes. Addionics identifies space platforms among its target applications, although it did not disclose spaceflight qualification or orbital test results with the 25 August launch.