Fielded Lithium Ion and Nickel Metal Hydride Battery and Charger System for U.S. Army

U. S. Army developed the Nickel Metal Hydride (NMH) BB-390 battery, Lithium ion battery BB-2847 and two hours charger for PM Night Vision thermal devices and PM Sincgar radios. The BB-390 can provide 240 watts (10 Amperes at 24 Volts) of power for transmit for the radios. The BB-390 battery replaced the BB-590 nickel Cadmium battery. The BB-390 battery contains 40 “A” size cells and provided up to two times the capacity over the nickel cadmium battery with same weight. During charging the BB-390 NMH battery, the battery will heat up to as high as 57 C. This NMH battery contains 10 thermos devices for protection during both charge and discharge. The BB-2847 lithium ion battery contains 6 each 18650, It provides 26 watt-hours These batteries are protected from external short as well as overdischarge. This evaluation is to verify the NMH battery and Lithium ion battery can meet and exceed the military specification requirement as well as to characterize the boundary conditions for NMH and lithium ion battery.