Company:

SAFT Specialty Battery Group

URL: www.saftbatteries.com
e-mail:
 
 
Type of activity:
Electrical Equipment
Contact:
Address:

12 rue Sadi Carnot
93170 Bangolet

Country: FRANCEFRANCE
Phone: +33 (0)1 4993 1918
Fax: +33 (0)1 4993 1950

Saft is the battery activity of Alcatel’s Cables and Components Sector and holds a leading position in the international marketplace of self-contained energy solutions. Saft’s product range includes portable power sources, industrial and advanced technology batteries and power systems.

With more than 6,500 employees, two R & D centres, 10 manufacturing facilities and 25 local sales organisations, Saft is a true international player in the field of batteries and power supply systems for professional, industrial, space and military uses.

Performance, quality, reliability, openness and an ability to meet the most demanding challenges are recognised characteristics of the Saft spirit worldwide.

The Lithium and Military Division of the Advanced Battery Group offers a comprehensive range of primary and secondary battery technologies for military applications.

Lithium Batteries – primary and secondary.

For over 30 years, Saft been a pioneer, both in Europe and the USA, in the development and production of lithium cells and battery packs. Autonomy, power, voltage, weight, service life, price…Saft has the know- how to tailor dependable battery solutions.

Initially, lithium was only available as a primary [non-rechargeable] electrochemistry. In-service experience from over 20 years has given the technology a long track record. The benefits of primary lithium batteries are well proven.

The more recent arrival of secondary [rechargeable] lithium on the market in 1992 has provided a new battery technology offering many advantages over conventional rechargeable nickel-cadmium and nickel metal hydride.

Primary [non-rechargeable] lithium batteries.

Lithium is a light metal with a high specific capacity [3.8Ah/g] and unique electrochemical characteristics.

Combining lithium with low freezing point electrolytes such as non-flammable thionyl chloride [SOCl2] and sulphur dioxide [SO2] results in batteries with high energy, low weight, low self-discharge and the ability to operate under extreme conditions.

Saft manufactures two primary lithium systems, thionyl chloride [3.6V] and sulphur dioxide [3V] which are both available in a range of cell sizes [more than 10] with rate capabilities varying from 12 milliamperes to 60 amperes.

Cells can be connected in series, to provide higher voltages, and in parallel, to provide greater capacity. Many military applications require multiple such cell pack designs. The manufacture of such packs is one of Saft’s specialities.

Over the years, Saft has supplied primary lithium batteries many of which are approved to National [e.g. PS and BA] and International standards [NATO codification - NSN].

Typical applications include night vision, laser telemetry, radio communications, GPS, mine detectors, missile systems…..

Secondary [rechargeable] batteries.

Saft’s cell range includes the latest lithium-ion technology [3.6V per cell] together with the conventional nickel-cadmium and nickel metal-hydride technology [both 1.2V per cell].

Nickel cadmium had a long in-service history and its capabilities are well established.

Li-ion offers vastly superior energy density, lower self-discharge, higher voltage, wider operating temperature range and longer cycle life.

Lithium-ion cells do not contain lithium metal. Instead, they function by the insertion and extraction of lithium ion into and out of the electrodes. Saft offers two cell ranges; medium prismatic [2.3 to 6Ah] and cylindrical [4.5Ah]. The primatic, MP range gives optimum packing efficiency - 20% more than cylindrical cells. For example, in a rectangular pack the use of cylindrical cells would result in high percentage of unused space.

Saft’s range of rechargeable batteries is also available in a number of standard formats.

   
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