Title :
Air Force thermal battery programs
Author_Institution :
AFRL/PRDB, W-PAFB, OH, USA
Abstract :
There are two thermal battery programs ongoing at WPAFB: a large thermal battery to supply emergency power for aircraft and an advanced weapons battery. The contractor for the large thermal battery is Eagle-Picher Technologies (EPT) of Joplin. Mo. The objective of this program is to develop a large thermal battery (ca. 100 lbs.) that can supply safe, reliable power for an aircraft during an emergency situation where the usual electrical power and hydraulic systems are no longer functioning. The technical challenges for this battery are to build a large, safe, reliable thermal battery that can activate in two seconds or less, generate 270 V, and can supply two 56 HP pulses of 30 seconds each and maintain a steady state power of 21 HP for 19 minutes between the two pulses. The second program, the advanced weapons battery, is being developed by SAFT, Cockeysville. Md. The goal of this program is to develop a small six-minute, 30 V thermal battery that can produce 88 Wh/kg
Keywords :
aircraft power systems; military equipment; primary cells; safety; weapons; 100 lb; 19 min; 21 hp; 270 V; 30 V; 30 s; 56 hp; 6 min; Air Force; Eagle-Picher Technologies; SAFT; WPAFB; aircraft; emergency power; emergency situation; reliable power supply; safety; steady state power; thermal battery programs; weapons battery; Aircraft manufacture; Batteries; Emergency power supplies; Hydraulic systems; Military aircraft; Power generation; Power system reliability; Pulse generation; Thermal force; Weapons;
Conference_Titel :
Battery Conference on Applications and Advances, 1999. The Fourteenth Annual
Conference_Location :
Long Beach, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-4967-9
DOI :
10.1109/BCAA.1999.795960
