Development and characterization of a high capacity lithium/thionyl chloride battery

A 30 V lithium/thionyl chloride battery with 320 Ah capacity capable of operating at currents of 14 to 75 A has been developed and tested over a temperature range from 15 to 71 °C. The 81 lb battery consists of nine series connected cylindrical cells in a three-by-three arrangement within an aluminum case. The cells are of a parallel disc electrode design with a total active surface area of 10 200 cm2. Cells and batteries have each been tested for safety, performance and to a space environment. The battery has clearly performed in excess of the specification requirements. The cell design is very adaptable to many battery design requirements.