Today's News by Jack Nerad for Driving Today

New Car Battery Smashes Previous Record

Friday, August 20, 2010

Most people usually think of batteries as ponderously heavy -- not exactly what you might use to power an aircraft. That’s what was so exciting about the fact that Sion Power’s new lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries played a critical role in the QinetiQ Zephyr smashing the world record for the longest duration unmanned flight. The Zephyr flight exceeded 336 hours (14 days) of continuous flight, significantly surpassing the previous official record of 30 hours and 24 minutes set by Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4A Global Hawk in March 2001. The Zephyr’s world record flight was completed in late July at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz.

The Zephyr, an all-electric unmanned aircraft with a wing span of 70 feet and a weight of just over 110 pounds, achieved its remarkable record using a combination of solar power during the day and Li-S batteries at night. After a ground launch, the Zephyr flew to altitudes of up to 70,000 feet, where the UAV encountered external temperatures as low as -75 C.

“This flight represents a major accomplishment for Sion’s lithium sulfur technology, proving the viability of our high-energy rechargeable battery system,” said Sion Power’s CEO, Dr. Dennis Mangino.

The custom-built Li-S battery pack utilized the company’s unique, high-specific energy Li-S cells. The pack was carefully engineered to minimize total weight, and advanced electronic controls maintained the battery condition throughout the flight. Although no auto manufacturer has used them yet, the high-energy, rechargeable lithium sulfur batteries might quickly find their way into electric vehicles now on the drawing board.

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