Development of a compact high-power zinc-oxygen battery for a heavyweight torpedo

Electric Fuel Limited (EFL) is completing the second year of development of a compact, high-power zinc-oxygen battery for heavyweight torpedoes, under subcontract to STN ATLAS Elektronik GmbH of Hamburg, Germany. STN ATLAS is the prime contractor to the German Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) for a new generation of heavyweight torpedo. The program has consisted thus far of a first phase in which the concept of the zinc-oxygen battery stack was evaluated in small (330 cm/sup 2/ active area) cells, and a second phase in which the cells were scaled up about fourfold to the final full size of the torpedo battery stack. A general schedule of these two phases of the development program is shown.