Testing Verifies Safety & Functionality of Fault-Tolerant Li-Ions
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced its Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant (LiFT™) battery has successfully undergone on-hull demonstration testing on a Special Operations Command (SOCOM) undersea vehicle. The LiFT battery, integrated on the undersea vehicle by Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, achieved Det Norske Veritas Germanischer Lloyd (DNV-GL) certification and over 60 hours of at-sea "underway under battery power" time with no failures.
GA-EMS' LiFT fault-tolerant battery system has been developed for use in both manned and unmanned underwater vehicles to provide a high energy density solution to improve projected mission capabilities. The on-hull demonstration testing verified the system's capacity and validated its functionality in providing the power necessary for submersible propulsion and operation.
"Unlike prior Lithium-ion battery technologies, GA-EMS' LiFT battery system offers a single cell fault tolerance to prevent uncontrolled cascading failure. This means the battery is capable of surviving a catastrophic cell failure without propagating to neighboring cells, ensuring the safety of on-board personnel and equipment," stated Paul Clark, senior manager responsible for LiFT program at GA-EMS.
GA-EMS' modular design is scalable to accommodate different form factors and power requirements, and offers unique thermal management to prevent thermal runaway conditions. Because of its unique architecture, the company can quickly develop affordable and safety certifiable Lithium-ion battery systems for numerous Department of Defense platforms. In addition to underwater vehicle systems, GA-EMS is also developing LiFT battery technology for ground vehicle and aircraft applications.
