International Battery has been awarded a $730,441 contract from the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to develop a hybrid energy storage solution for combat tanks and Stryker armored vehicles. The system will incorporate lithium iron phosphate cells (for energy) and ultracapacitors (for power).
This multi-year contract, if all development options are exercised, could total $6.7 million. The federal appropriations funding was secured by US Representative Charles W. Dent through the Department of Defense (DoD).
This contract, which is the second TARDEC award for the company, is funding work for advanced level testing and delivery of energy storage system prototypes for Silent Watch, which requires battery systems that are ruggedized, have no heat signature, can withstand wide temperature variances and are lighter weight than lead-acid batteries.
International Battery’s new NATO 6T-compatible battery is a hybrid 12-volt system. The goal is to develop a battery that can deliver more power and energy to ultimately replace heavier lead-acid batteries as their reliability is greatly reduced in harsh environments, requiring frequent replacement. Lead-acid batteries can compromise mission effectiveness as they are sensitive to wide variances in temperatures—further accelerating degradation—creating supply and logistic issues resulting in a higher total cost of ownership (TCO).
This award continues advanced development of International Battery’s Non Primary Power System (NPS 1160) that is modeled on the company’s large-format iron phosphate cells and battery management system (BMS) technology.