Battery manufacturer Oxis Energy has developed a lightweight lithium sulphur prototype cell for power management company Lincad and the UK Ministry of Defence.
The prototype cell is the result of the third programme phase of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory research programme. The cell provides a 60% increase over the capacity achievement in phase 2 in 2013 and increases the specific energy of a cell to just under 300Wh/kg, according to Oxis Energy.
The lithium sulphur cells are designed to operate under harsh conditions, including extreme temperatures, short circuit, nail and bullet penetration.
“The OXIS team has made considerable progress in developing the cell technology for use in mobile military communications systems. Phase 3 takes us a step closer towards rolling out the safe battery systems for use by our military personnel on active duty,” said Huw Hampson-Jones, Oxis Energy’s chief executive officer.
According to Oxis Energy, the battery does not require charging during long periods of storage, which will decrease annual operation costs. “The next stage is to make further improvements so that the Ministry of Defence can phase in the technology and achieve significant costs savings,” Hampson-Jones added.
