ADA Technologies Receives $100K Contract to Develop Lithium-Polymer Battery for Micro Air Vehicle Hybrid Power Systems

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ADA Technologies, Inc. (ADA) received a $100,000 contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop an advanced Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) battery for use in miniaturized hybrid power systems for micro air vehicles (MAVs).

“Specific attributes include increased power and energy densities, longer lifecycle and storage life, increased safety and reduced weight.”

Rapid advancements in micro/nano technologies for MAV components, including actuators, flight control systems, sensors, and on-board data processors, are enabling a new breed of extremely small and lightweight MAVs. The tiny MAVs, some as small as insects, are in high demand due to their numerous military, commercial and scientific applications; however, progress has been hampered by the lack of a robust on-board power system.

ADA’s new hybrid-power device is based on utilizing nanostructured electrodes and environmentally friendly electrolytes to develop an advanced LiPo battery that is capable of operating in both high-power and high-energy modes, thus eliminating the need for two separate devices.

According to Wen Lu, Ph.D., ADA project manager, “Current hybrid power systems rely on pairing a fuel cell or high energy lithium-ion battery with a high power device, such as an ultracapacitor. Because two separate devices are needed to provide power, this type of system is impractical for use on MAVs where space and weight restrictions are critical.”

The lightest-weight LiPo batteries currently available don’t provide sufficient energy and power densities and impose a variety of operational limitations that are unacceptable for MAV power systems.

“ADA’s new technology will allow for substantial greater range, endurance and maneuverability for this highly volume- and mass-constrained class of vehicles,” said Doug Campbell, R&D program manager. “Specific attributes include increased power and energy densities, longer lifecycle and storage life, increased safety and reduced weight.”

ADA Technologies, Inc.

ADA Technologies, Inc. is a research, development, and commercialization company that specializes in creating and converting innovative technologies to commercial successes. The firm is headquartered in Littleton, Colorado, with offices on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, Blacksburg, VA. ADA has received more than 130 research grants totaling more than $40 million. ADA has received numerous honors, including: 2006 Tibbetts Award, 2006, 2007 & 2008 Colorado Technology Fast 50, 2006 & 2007 Best Companies to Work For in Colorado and Colorado’s Top Technology Company 2005. For more information, please visit www.adatech.com or call 303-792-5615.