A thermal battery including: a casing; a battery cell disposed in the casing; a heat generating pyrotechnic material, separate from the battery cell, at least partially surrounding the battery cell; and insulation disposed between the heat generating pyrotechnic material and the casing, wherein the heat generating pyrotechnic material is disposed in a flattened tube having a flat cross-section where at least two sides are substantially parallel, the flattened tube being spirally wound to form a shape corresponding to a complimentary shape of at least a portion of the battery cell.

A thermal battery including: a casing; a battery cell disposed in the casing; a heat generating pyrotechnic material, separate from the battery cell, at least partially surrounding the battery cell; and insulation disposed between the heat generating pyrotechnic material and the casing, wherein the heat generating pyrotechnic material is disposed in a flattened tube having a flat cross-section where at least two sides are substantially parallel, the flattened tube being spirally wound to form a shape corresponding to a complimentary shape of at least a portion of the battery cell.

A nanofluid contact potential difference cell includes a cathode with a lower work function and an anode with a higher work function separated by a nanometer-scale spaced inter-electrode gap containing a nanofluid with intermediate work function nanoparticle clusters. The cathode comprises a refractory layer and a thin film of electrosprayed dipole nanoparticle clusters partially covering a surface of the refractory layer. A thermal power source, placed in thermal contact with the cathode, to drive an electrical current through an electrical circuit connecting the cathode and anode with an external electrical load in between. A switch is configured to intermittently connect the anode and the cathode to maintain non-equilibrium between a first current from the cathode to the anode and a second current from the anode to the cathode.

A nanofluid contact potential difference cell includes a cathode with a lower work function and an anode with a higher work function separated by a nanometer-scale spaced inter-electrode gap containing a nanofluid with intermediate work function nanoparticle clusters. The cathode comprises a refractory layer and a thin film of electrosprayed dipole nanoparticle clusters partially covering a surface of the refractory layer. A thermal power source, placed in thermal contact with the cathode, to drive an electrical current through an electrical circuit connecting the cathode and anode with an external electrical load in between. A switch is configured to intermittently connect the anode and the cathode to maintain non-equilibrium between a first current from the cathode to the anode and a second current from the anode to the cathode.

A collapsible storage unit including: a plurality of triangular sidewalls at least partially defining a cavity for storing a liquid electrolyte therein; wherein the plurality of triangular sidewalls are configured to collapse in a longitudinal direction about a hinge disposed between adjacent sides of each of the plurality of triangular sidewalls.

A striker mechanism including: a housing having a first surface; a slider movable in the housing, the slider having a projection or concavity, the slider having a second surface, the first and second surfaces defining an opening for a lanyard; a striker mass movably disposed relative to the housing, the striker mass having another of the projection and the concavity, the striker mass having a striker tip for engaging a primer; and a spring for biasing the striker tip relative to the housing. When the lanyard moves the slider within a first range of motion, the projection engages with the concavity to bias the striker mass towards the primer. When the lanyard moves the slider within a second range of motion, greater than the first range of motion, the projection disengages from the concavity allowing the striker mass to move towards the primer by a biasing force of the spring.

An electrical power generation system has a thermal battery and a thermoelectric module positioned proximate to the thermal battery. The thermoelectric module has a first side thermally coupled to the exterior of the housing; and an electrical circuit configured to conduct electrical current from the thermoelectric module to an electrical load. The electrical circuit can be configured to conduct electrical current from the thermal battery to the electrical load while the voltage produced by the thermal battery is above a threshold and to conduct electrical power from the thermoelectric module when the voltage produced by thermal battery drops below the threshold.

An electrical power generation system has a thermal battery and a thermoelectric module positioned proximate to the thermal battery. The thermoelectric module has a first side thermally coupled to the exterior of the housing; and an electrical circuit configured to conduct electrical current from the thermoelectric module to an electrical load. The electrical circuit can be configured to conduct electrical current from the thermal battery to the electrical load while the voltage produced by the thermal battery is above a threshold and to conduct electrical power from the thermoelectric module when the voltage produced by thermal battery drops below the threshold.

The present invention provides a fiber-reinforced aerogel material which can be used as insulation in thermal battery applications. The fiber-reinforced aerogel material is highly durable, flexible, and has a thermal performance that exceeds the insulation materials currently used in thermal battery applications. The fiber-reinforced aerogel insulation material can be as thin as 1 mm less, and can have a thickness variation as low as 2% or less. Also provided is a method for improving the performance of a thermal battery by incorporating a reinforced aerogel material into the thermal battery. Further provided is a casting method for producing thin fiber-reinforced aerogel materials.

The present invention provides a fiber-reinforced aerogel material which can be used as insulation in thermal battery applications. The fiber-reinforced aerogel material is highly durable, flexible, and has a thermal performance that exceeds the insulation materials currently used in thermal battery applications. The fiber-reinforced aerogel insulation material can be as thin as 1 mm less, and can have a thickness variation as low as 2% or less. Also provided is a method for improving the performance of a thermal battery by incorporating a reinforced aerogel material into the thermal battery. Further provided is a casting method for producing thin fiber-reinforced aerogel materials.