Air Force thermal battery programs

Author

Ryan, David M.

Author_Institution

AFRL/PRDB, W-PAFB, OH, USA

fYear

1999

fDate

1999

Firstpage

31

Lastpage

34

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;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Battery Conference on Applications and Advances, 1999. The Fourteenth Annual

Conference_Location

Long Beach, CA

ISSN

1089-8182

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4967-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/BCAA.1999.795960

Filename

795960