Page 375 - Lindens Handbook of Batteries

14.40 PriMAry BATTerieS

3.6 40
Cell voltage at nominal discharge rate of 40 A 30
Voltage, V 3.2 Ambient 20 Temperature, °C
3.4

3.0 Cell temperature temperature 10

1 2 10 10 2 10 3
Hours of discharge
FIGURE 14.30 Discharge curves for 10,000 Ah Li/SOCl battery.
2

5 A continuously

3
Voltage, V 2 40 A, 16 s

1
100 200 300 400
Hours of discharge
FIGURE 14.31 Discharge of high-capacity 2000 Ah Li/SOCl 2
battery.

14.6.6 Applications
The applications of the Li/SOCl system take advantage of the high energy density and long shelf
2
life of this battery system. The low-drain cylindrical batteries are used as a power source for CMOS
memories, utility meters, and rFiD tags such as the eZ Pass Toll collection system, programmable
logic controllers, and wireless security alarm system. Wide application in consumer-oriented appli-
cations is limited because of the relatively high cost and concern with the safety and handling of
these types of lithium batteries.
The higher-rate cylindrical and the larger prismatic Li/SOCl batteries are used mainly in military
2
applications where high specific energy is needed to fulfill important mission requirements. A sig-
nificant application for the large 10,000 Ah batteries was as standby power source as 9-cell batteries
for the Missile extended System Power in the event of loss of commercial or other power. These
batteries have been decommissioned.
A lithium/thionyl chloride battery was developed for use on the Mars Microprobe Mission, a
secondary payload on the Mars 98 Lander Mission, which disappeared on entry into the Martian
atmosphere in December, 1999. The Microprobe power source is a 4-cell lithium/thionyl chloride
34
battery with a second redundant battery in parallel. The eight 2 Ah cells are arranged in a single-
layer configuration in the aft-body of the microprobe. The lithium primary cells (and battery con-
figuration) have been designed to survive the maximum landing impact which may reach 80,000 G,
and then be operational on the Martian surface to -80°C. Primary lithium-thionyl chloride batteries