Capacity Fade of 26650 Lithium-Ion Phosphate Batteries Considered for Use Within a Pulsed-Power System’s Prime Power Supply

There is considerable need for a mobile, reliable, efficient, and compact prime power supply for use in a host of directed energy applications. Recent improvements in the energy and power density of electrochemical lithium-ion batteries have made them a very viable option for these types of applications where fast and rep-rate operation is of interest. Despite the proven ability of lithium-ion batteries to source high currents, it is still unclear how they age when they are used to repeatedly source high-rate currents in a pulsed manner, as they must when used in a repetitive rate prime power supply. Similarly, it is unclear how elevated rate recharge affects the life of the battery. Research has been performed at University of Texas at Arlington in which high-power, 2.6 Ah lithium-ion batteries have been repeatedly discharged and recharged at high pulsed rates. This paper will discuss the potential of lithium-ion batteries for use in these applications and will present experimental results performed when two 2.6 Ah cells were both discharged at 28 A (10.8C) and recharged at 9 A (3.5C) to 2.5 and 2.0 V, respectively.