Safe, High Power Replacement Cells for Existing NAVSEA NiCd Batteries

Legacy batteries for many DoD battery systems are badly outdated and need replacement. Many batteries still contain NiCd cells, which are extremely toxic and increasing hard to find. Because of their toxicity, these cells are no longer manufactured in the US. Domestic-based integrators purchase the cells overseas and then package them into battery, but this is still far from satisfactory as the DoD needs a safer battery that is made in the US. Over fifty-one NiCd batteries are listed on the DLA Quick Search Assist website (https://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsSearch.aspx). ADA Technologies, Inc. (ADA), a manufacturing company with an R&D division, has developed a safe, high power Li-ion cell that would make a superior replacement cell for these legacy battery packs. Our LTO-LMNO chemistry has higher power and energy density than NiCd. Another significant benefit to this chemistry is its safety. These cells can be discharged to near zero voltage (0V) and stored for significant time (>9 months) with little reduction in capacity and performance. While in the 0V state, the cells contain essentially no energy, making them almost impervious to the issues of thermal runaway and fires observed in standard lithium ion batteries. During this program, ADA will build and test cells designed to replace NiCd cells in four NAVSEA batteries. After cells tests have been completed, battery packs will be constructed using the ADA cells and further testing conducted. This program will bring the new, safer batteries to TRL 7 in preparation for specific application qualification.