As a new generation of rechargeable power sources, lithium-ion batteries have the advantages of high energy density, high operating voltage, wide operating temperature range, long cycle life, and high safety performance. They are the mainstream development direction of current rechargeable batteries. It also has the characteristics of low maintenance requirements and no memory effect. It can be charged and discharged at any time during the battle, and requires almost no battlefield maintenance, reducing logistical burden. Therefore, it has been valued and developed by the military of all countries. In recent years, lithium-ion batteries have been widely used in military equipment such as individual combat systems, submarines, unmanned aerial vehicles, and aerospace vehicles, and have shown broad application prospects in land, sea, air, and space.
Advantage is irreplaceable
Lithium-ion batteries are a new generation of rechargeable batteries after nickel-metal hydride and other traditional storage batteries. They were first developed by Sony Corporation of Japan in 1990. Lithium-ion battery has simple working principle, good safety and long charge and discharge life. It is considered as the first choice of new power source.
Lithium-ion batteries have the following advantages in military applications. High working voltage. The discharge voltage of one lithium-ion battery is equivalent to three traditional batteries. Under the same conditions of use, the battery usage is greatly reduced. High energy density. It is two to three times that of ordinary batteries, plus small size and light weight. It has irreplaceable advantages for field portable electronic equipment. Long cycle life. The service life is as long as 10 to 15 years. Compared with the traditional battery 7 to 8 years, the impact of high cost is reduced. No environmental pollution. Does not contain lead, mercury and other heavy metals, is a clean "green" energy. No memory effect. Can be charged and discharged at will, especially in wartime and emergency situations show excellent performance. Low maintenance rate. Hardly any maintenance is needed, reducing the logistical burden during wartime. In addition, it has the advantages of high safety performance and wide operating temperature range.
In recent years, various countries have vigorously developed lithium-ion batteries as a new type of battery that replaces traditional storage batteries. The new lithium-ion batteries have many characteristics and show irreplaceable advantages in the application of portable electronic equipment.
Tends to be bendable and lightweight. With the increasing number of miniaturized, portable, and wearable electronic equipment, the power supply required to adapt to it is characterized by light weight, small size, high specific energy, and arbitrary deformation. Lithium-ion batteries have become the first choice for the above-mentioned electronic devices due to their excellent performance power supply. In 2013, the U.S. military developed a stretchable lithium-ion battery that can be built into the wristband of a watch to power individual smart watches and other devices. Japan has newly introduced a flexible ultra-thin lithium-ion battery that maintains stable power output after bending and folding. Another technical highlight of the battery is the use of wireless charging technology, which eliminates the need for a wearable device to specifically design a battery installation area.
The energy density continues to increase. A major factor in promoting the development of lithium-ion batteries is the application of emerging battery materials. In recent years, with the application of a variety of new electrode materials, key performances such as energy density, cycle life, and stability of lithium-ion batteries have been greatly improved. In addition, the lithium ion battery manufacturing process has also achieved a number of technological breakthroughs. Japan's new high-temperature resistant solid-state lithium-ion battery still has good electrical conductivity in a high-temperature environment of 150 ° C. This technology expands the application range of lithium-ion batteries. The United States uses a spraying process to manufacture lithium-ion batteries in a large area, which can form batteries on the surface of almost all objects, which can further improve the energy security capability of the battlefield.
Technical breakthroughs in safety performance. High security is the rigid requirement of military equipment for lithium-ion batteries, which guarantees the absolute safety of the battery when subjected to high-strength shocks and impacts, mainly through the use of high-safety materials and optimized battery structure. In January 2017, Stanford University in the United States developed a miniature "smart" fiber containing a flame retardant, which is inserted between the battery's electrodes to prevent the battery from short-circuiting and catching fire. In the test, when the temperature of the lithium ion battery reaches above 160 ° C, the flame retardant will be released into the electrolyte to ensure the safety of the battery.
Primary election for future military equipment
As a power source, lithium-ion batteries have been widely used in individual soldiers' electronic equipment, submarines, torpedoes, and drones in recent years. They have shown good performance and have gradually become an important energy source for military equipment.
The preferred power source for individual combat systems. Lithium-ion battery, as the best performance battery at present, can not only provide lasting and stable power supply for individual soldier electronic equipment on the battlefield, but also greatly reduce the individual soldier's load, enhance the flexibility and mobility of individual soldiers, and become the future individual equipment. Preferred power supply. The "Soldier Conformable Battery" developed by the US Army is a wearable lithium-ion polymer battery. It is thin and light, and is arranged on the bulletproof plate worn by the soldier to reduce the load on the soldier. The British Ministry of Defence uses lithium-ion batteries as an energy source for individual combat systems, and the bag-shaped lithium-ion batteries developed have ultra-high specific energy. In addition, most of the future soldier combat systems developed by military forces in various countries around the world use lithium-ion batteries as the power source. For example, the US "Land Warrior" individual combat system and the German "Future Soldier" systems use lithium-ion batteries.
"New Energy Favor" for offshore equipment. The lithium ion battery is used as the power source of the submarine, which can greatly improve the speed, range and survivability of the submarine, and reduce the maintenance cost of the submarine. In recent years, multinational navies have applied lithium-ion batteries to miniature submarines, while developing lithium-ion batteries suitable for medium and long-range submarines. For example, the French Scorpion-class submarine is equipped with a new generation of lithium-ion batteries that can withstand high current charging, which greatly reduces the charging time of the submarine and doubles the underwater life.
Lithium-ion batteries used in torpedoes can greatly reduce the volume and weight of the power part of the torpedo, and can be used repeatedly during training to meet the training needs of the army. At present, the French Navy has successfully developed a lithium-ion battery torpedo, with a running speed of more than 50 knots (92.5 km / hour) and a battery life of more than 1 hour. Its reliability and safety meet operational requirements. In addition, foreign forces are exploring the use of lithium-ion batteries as power systems for surface ships.
The "third-generation power source" for aerospace vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are known as the third generation of space power, and have been gradually applied to various space equipment in recent years. For example, new lithium-ion batteries have been used as power supplies for the International Space Station. In the field of military aviation, lithium-ion batteries are mainly used in small, miniature UAVs. The "Longyan" unmanned reconnaissance aircraft used by the U.S. military in the Afghanistan war, using lithium-ion batteries as a power source, has been tested in combat. However, in general, the application of lithium-ion batteries in this field is still in its infancy, and the main constraints are insufficient miniaturization and insufficient power.
Power source for large equipment is insufficient. In ground equipment, lithium-ion batteries are mainly used in military unmanned ground vehicles, robots, and hybrid electric combat vehicles. For a ground combat vehicle that uses a hybrid electric vehicle, the use of a lithium-ion battery as a power source can not only reduce fuel consumption, reduce logistical burdens, but also improve the power and survivability of tactical vehicles. At present, foreign troops are actively developing lithium-ion battery modules for hybrid electric-driven chariots, unmanned ground vehicles, and ground robots. However, for large ground equipment, the weak power of lithium-ion batteries is the main factor restricting its further application. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to develop high specific power, low cost lithium-ion batteries to meet the mission requirements of ground equipment in the future.
