Kokam Company has conducted ballistic tests on lithium-ion battery cells utilizing the company’s NANO battery technology and found that even when the cells in question are shot, they do not undergo thermal runaway.
The company’s NANO battery technology also allows lithium-ion batteries to withstand temperatures between -40° and 60° Celsius, and to function in a variety of demanding applications.
The press release provides some background:
Kokam created the exceptionally stable NANO battery technology by integrating three different lithium-ion battery chemistries — Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) — into a single battery. By combining the advantages of these three battery chemistries, NANO battery solutions are able to deliver industry-leading levels of reliability in highly volatile environments, while also discharging at a 10 C-rate (Continuous) / 15 C-rate (Pulse) and charging at a 5 C-rate (Continuous) / 14 C-rate (Pulse).
In addition to supporting or supplementing diesel and other engines, the NANO battery can also replace or be used instead of these engines, providing a silent energy source for sensitive defense missions.
As far as the specifics of the recent ballistic tests, after looking around a bit, I wasn’t able to find out much more, so it’s hard to say what to take from the press release. Impressive either way I suppose — a lithium-ion battery taking bullets and not experiencing thermal runaway. I would be curious about further specifics though….
Here’s some information on some of the company’s other battery technology offerings:
In addition to its NANO battery solutions, Kokam also offers the defense industry Ultra High Power Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) and Ultra High Energy NMC battery solutions. Kokam’s Ultra High Power NMC battery solutions have an industry-leading C-rate of 100, which enables them to discharge very large amounts of power very quickly, making them well suited for advanced weapon systems and other high power military applications.
Its Ultra High Energy NMC battery solutions have an industry leading energy density of more than 260 watt hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), enabling manufacturers to pack more energy into their defense systems, allowing them to extend the operating times of military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and other defense systems without increasing the weight or size of these systems’ batteries.
More information can be found on the company’s website (here).