MAX POWER INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: N08-143

Description

Present Sonobuoy fleets being developed by the US Navy for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) systems rely upon electrochemical energy storage for primary power. The increase in instrumentation payloads and mission duration has increased the energy draw on existing power sources and novel solutions are required to meet the demands of the next generation of buoys. MaxPower Inc. has developed a novel high energy density lithium battery technology to compete with present battery chemistries. The core of this technology is a newly developed, high conductivity Carbon Monofluoride(CFx) morphology and cathode formulation. Recent testing has demonstrated that a specific energy of 328 Wh/kg and an energy density of 507 Wh/L are achievable at discharge rates up to C/10. The cell design utilizes a prismatic wound electrode assembly which can be easily designed to fit a multitude of form factors and can be scaled to meet increased power or life requirements. Performance testing of this chemistry has been conducted at temperatures ranging from -40 to 25°C. Active storage of cells up to three months at 70°C shows less than 5% capacity loss.