The technical and performance characteristics lithium-ion batteries offer have made them the preferred type of power source for all kinds of consumer and commercial electronics — including electric vehicles and even satellites and spacecrafts. Compared to other kinds of batteries, they excel in charge rate, discharge rate, charge cycle durability, energy density and power density. Yet, they have also been in the news from time to time because they tend to overheat and catch fire or explode.
In years gone by, when the military rolled out new technology to its soldiers and Marines, troops on the ground understood that they would likely be carrying more spare batteries. Nearly 10 years ago, the Pentagon noted that troops in Afghanistan “… carry more than 33 batteries, weighing up to 10 pounds.”1 Depending on a warfighter's specialty, the weight added for spare batteries can double. Case in point: a radio operator deployed on a long mission.
Batteries are not all created equally. There are several different types of batteries, rechargeable (or reusable), non-rechargeable (single use) and reserve batteries. Reserve batteries are a special class of non-rechargeable batteries that endure extremely long storage; greater than 20 years’ shelf-life.
