ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. military researchers will brief industry next month on a project to develop a usable and manufacturable flexible energy-storage system that is free of rigid materials.
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., will brief industry on the upcoming Promethian Clay program from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 25 Feb. 2026 at the DARPA Conference Center, 675 N. Randolph St., in Arlington, Va.
Promethean Clay aims to produce energy storage devices using mechanically co-designed materials to create a new class of system that overcomes the limitations of the rigid exoskeleton in existing systems.
This program seeks to improve energy storage performance through a design free of rigid materials; design a device that can exhibit the thermal and safety performance for practical integration into systems;; and chart a pathway toward domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing.
Uniform properties
Energy-storage systems should be able to exhibit mechanical connectivity across interfaces; exhibit uniform mechanical properties throughout all materials to mitigate localized stress formation; and still be able to store energy.
Devices must be resilient to thermal conditions, and be as safe, or saver than, current systems. The energy storage system should break free of critical limitations of today’s systems, such as rigid packaging and external pressure requirements.
The rigid exoskeleton in energy storage systems today has heavy metals that compress components together to maintain pressure across the device. Metal packaging occupies most of its weight.
Four-year program
Promethean Clay is a four-year program with three phases: a two-year phase that demonstrates energy storage that can shed its rigid exoskeleton; and two one-year phases to demonstrate a prototype.
Companies interested should register no later than 18 Feb. 2026 online at https://web.cvent.com/event/e57bbeaa-0384-4e98-affa-f2d41d4b7be7/summary?environment=P2.
Email questions or concerns to [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/c4d8b71a582d41aa9f4de5fff6fd5fad/view.
