Rocco Viggiano, PhD

  Research Scientist /PI

Dr. Rocco Viggiano graduated with a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 2015 under the direction of Dr. David Schiraldi. Dr. Viggiano specializes in polymer chemistry and synthesis. Since joining the NASA Glenn Research center in 2015, he has focused on the synthesis of polyimide based aerogels for high temperature insulation applications. In 2018, Dr. Viggiano has pursued investigations into solid-state electrolytes for all solid-state batteries. In 2019, Dr. Viggiano submitted a proposal to the Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) program to develop all solid-state batteries based on Lithium-Sulfur-Selenium chemistry. Currently, Dr. Viggiano is the PI and the lead of the Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety (SABERS) project which is developing novel solid-state batteries and solid-state electrolytes.




Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety (SABERS) Beyond Li-Ion: Technology to Enable Sustainable Electric Aviation

Category: Energy (Electrical, Microgrid, Storage, Sustainable Fuels, Hydrogen)

ABSTRACT

All-electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) for urban air mobility (UAM) concepts face numerous challenging technical barriers before their introduction into the consumer marketplace. The primary barrier to overcome is developing an energy storage system capable of meeting the rigorous aerospace safety and performance criteria. The performance metrics for eVTOL vehicles are at least two times greater than those of electric ground vehicles. Furthermore, inherently non-flammable batteries are essential for safe operation of commercial electric aerovehicles. The SABERS concept proposes a battery that meets the key performance criteria through development of a solid-state architecture battery utilizing high-capacity sulfur-selenium cathode and lithium metal anode. The combination of sulfur and selenium offers a balanced energy-to-power density ratio, which can be tailored to the specific application by altering the stoichiometric ratios of sulfur to selenium. This hybrid cathode will be developed by implementing NASA patented holey graphene technology as a highly conductive, ultra-lightweight electrode scaffold. A solid-state electrolyte will be used as a safe, non-flammable replacement to the highly flammable liquid organic electrolytes currently used in SOA lithium-ion batteries. This solid-state lithium-sulfur/selenium cell will be designed into a serial stacking configuration to enable dense packaging of the battery cells. The serial stacking configuration is termed a bipolar stack, which has the advantages of reducing overall cell weight, simplifying the interfaced connections for the cell, and minimizing the cooling requirements. Lastly, optimization of battery components will occur through a robust and rigorous combination of various computational modeling techniques covering multiple length scales. The expected result will be a fully solid-state battery with operational temperatures up to 150 °C which provides the required energy density, discharge rates, and inherent safety to meet the strict aerospace mission performance criteria. This presentation will demonstrate a feasible path for solid-state cells that possess a specific energy of greater than 400 Wh/kg to enable electric aircraft. The presentation will also explore novel materials and computational models used to achieve all solid-state cells that operate safely at very high temperatures and specific energies. The cells can withstand damage while operating without an increase in temperature or spontaneous ignition.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  • This presentation will demonstrate a feasible path for the development of solid-state cells that possess a specific energy of greater than 400 Wh/kg to enable electric aircraft. The presentation will also demonstrate that the cells can operate safely over a wide temperature range.

Sessions