A publication of the National Electronics Manufacturing Center of Excellence December 2003

The ability to quickly evaluate the remaining charge in a fielded battery and to reliably identify batteries that have reduced capacity with the potential for failure are the hallmarks of battery prognostics applications. Modern war fighters depend heavily on the availability of reliable battery power for their communications, night vision, fire control, and perimeter security systems. Any uncertainty concerning the present energy capacity or the state of charge in a battery adds to the risk of any mission. The uncertainty of a battery's state-of-charge (SOC), its state-of-health (SOH), or its state-of-life (SOL) can lead to premature disposal by the war fighter causing a cost and a supply logistics nightmare. This same uncertainty prevents the transition from primary batteries to the less robust but less costly rechargeable batteries due to the inability to assess future power source degradation. The Navy MANTECH challenge is to greatly reduce this uncertainty in the field by transforming proven battery prognostics technology from the laboratory into an affordable, reliable, and manufacturable package acceptable for wide-scale deployment in DOD applications. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the usage rate of the main primary battery (BA-5590) reached 6000 batteries per day, according to the U.S. Central Command during actions in April of 2003 [1]. Demand for primary batteries exceeded the supply and taxed the logistics system to the point that a joint staff battery power desk was established to deal solely with this critical item. The battery shortage was in fact among the top briefing points made to Gen. Tommy Franks at his daily briefings and was even elevated as a briefing item to the Commander-in-Chief [1]. At an acquisition and disposal cost of over $109 for each battery, both the availability and affordability of this critical item demand an alternative solution. Battery prognostics can reduce acquisition costs and increase critical supply levels by making the alternate rechargeable battery more attractive and prevent the unnecessary disposal of primary batteries already in use.