Zinc-air chemistry goes to war

In 2003 a new generation of lightweight low-cost zinc-air primary batteries was introduced for battlefield power. With up to 800 Wh of energy these batteries power tactical radios for about a week, as compared with about a day for the primary lithium batteries in common use.

They fill an important battlefield power source gap between lithium batteries and portable generators, satisfying the military desire for a number of days' power without daily change-out and frequent re-supply. In this article, Graydon Hansen and Ron Putt of Electric Fuel Battery Corporation give an overview of . . .