Advanced lithium thionyl chloride `C´-cell battery

A battery of seven lithium thionyl chloride C cells, specially designed for high-power operation, is described. The battery of hexagonally packed cells is housed in an anodized aluminum case and weighs 0.66 kg. A three-cell section is discharged alternately at 3.40 A for 18 ms and 6.16 A for 2 ms, and the corresponding load on the remaining four cells is 3.00 A and 4.76 A. The battery typically yields 80 to 90 minutes of operation at an average power of approximately 74 W, before the voltage of the three-cell section drops below 7.0 V. The delivered energy on the pulse profile is typically 100-110 Wh, yielding a specific energy of 152-167 Wh/kg. The battery has successfully completed environmental and mechanical tests typical of an airborne application