Has anyone developed a reliable deep space battery that doesn't need to be kept warm?

Question

Has anyone developed a reliable battery for use in cold deep space applications? Something that doesn't need to be kept warm?

For exampe lithium batteries certainly has its constraints due to the temps but does Graphene or SS type applications help solve this issue?

I understand a company in China Guangzhou Auto Group has been working with China Carbon on the Graphene high density ultra cold applications and is Quantum Scape working on a SS version?

Thank you for photo Credit to: photographer, Adam Makarenko adammakarenko.com/photography image is Ice Probe I.

Different but related questions that you may find interesting: What are the technical challenges in building a Titan rover that didn't need heating? and Titan rover survival challenges and How do the Mars rovers sleep through the night on Mars? and How do space missions preserve their batteries for so long? — uhoh, Mar 15 '21 at 01:27
Couldn't you just insulate the battery and use some of its power to keep it warm if needed? You'll have to shield it from space radiation anyhow, why not shield it from cold temperatures? — , Mar 15 '21 at 01:27
Batteries aren't the only thing that's temperature sensitive, or even the most sensitive thing on a probe. The hydrazine that's commonly used as a monopropellant will freeze a bit above the freezing point of water, for example. And what does "SS" refer to? — Christopher James Huff, Mar 15 '21 at 02:46
@ChristopherJamesHuff I think the point of the question is that, although other sensitive components of a rover can be replaced with other alternatives, batteries are about as essential as you can get, and there aren't all too many other solutions. Hydrazine and its derivatives are common, but can easily be replaced. — R. Hall, Mar 15 '21 at 06:09
Welcome! You need to give proper attribution to all material that you post on Stack Exchange which isn't your own work. That image is Ice Probe I, by miniature creator and photographer, Adam Makarenko https://www.adammakarenko.com/photography — PM 2Ring, Mar 15 '21 at 08:22
Most solid-state electronic items (CPU, transistors, etc) are quite temperature-sensitive as well, so you don't save a lot by heating everything except the battery. — Carl Witthoft, Mar 15 '21 at 13:30
@CarlWitthoft electronics can be stored at lower temperatures, then warmed to operating temperature when needed. But for many battery types once they get too cold they are irreversibly damaged. It's not a good comparison. — uhoh, Mar 16 '21 at 23:00
@uhoh which is why those types of batteries aren't generally installed in space probes :-) . (except of course when you have a relliable energy source like an RTG.... or a ZPM) — Carl Witthoft, Mar 17 '21 at 11:46
@CarlWitthoft they are installed in spacecraft, but ones with solar panels instead of RTGs. The batteries self-warm during eclipses or nighttime on cloudless worlds like Mars. This discussion naturally leads to an interesting new question! When is the last time that a battery-powered spacecraft was launched without an RTG or solar-electric power? — uhoh, Mar 17 '21 at 13:54
On a related note, why isn't it a common practice to launch probes/landers with tiny RTGs that would be capable of keeping the craft safe through 'blackout' periods, keeping the batteries warm and trickle-charging them while solar panels are non-functional. — SF., Apr 15 '21 at 22:46

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 16 '21 at 10:16

2

A Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (sometimes referred to as a nuclear battery) is probably your best best: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

Although it gets warm it doesn't need to be "kept warm" as it heats itself from nuclear processes within the radioactive materials sealed inside it and it produces electricity. The down side is it only produces a small amount of electricity, but better than nothing and you might be able to make use of the waste heat it produces.

answered Mar 16 '21 at 10:16

Slarty

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Sorry, but -1 because a generator is not a battery. Mars rovers would be in a bad way if you took their batteries away and told them to run on their RTGs, because one function of a batter is to "buffer" energy from an RTG and then provide a higher level of power during "peak demand". If you embedded smaller radioisotope heat sources within conventional batteries you could keep them warm, but the question specifically asks for "a reliable deep space battery that doesn't need to be kept warm". I don't think there's even an unreliable one yet. – uhoh Mar 16 '21 at 10:32
Thank you all for your comments, we have more to research but are working on something very exciting for a unique interplanetary communications platform. You are all very much appreciated and thanks again to all. – SpacSpace Mar 16 '21 at 18:07

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 16 '21 at 23:01

Electrochemical batteries that are independent of temperature are impossible. There have been different designs for high, medium and low temperatures, but for each design there is a certain operating temperature range. All chemical reactions are faster at higher temperature and slower at lower temperature.

If it is too hot for the battery, lifetime of the battery will be shorter. If it is too cold for the battery, voltage and possible maximal current will be too low.

A battery designed for very low temperature should be kept cold before launch. It will be too hot for the battery at the first part of the flight into deep space.

Has anyone developed a reliable deep space battery that doesn't need to be kept warm?

2 Answers2