The idea is quite simple; Soldiers of the future will need to carry maximum energy with minimum weight to power the multitude of mission-essential electrical equipment that they will carry, store and transport by hand in the field. Amprius claims its ultra-dense batteries will double the runtime of existing solutions, allowing soldiers to stay longer without needing to stop to recharge.
The U.S. Army is working on a next-generation Compliant Portable Battery (CWB) that will provide soldiers with an all-in-one power source for their Integrated visual augmentation system and other mission-critical communications equipment, sensors, portable electronics, and probably hardware that only science fiction writers think about right now. The idea is to replace item-specific batteries of different shapes and sizes with a single, simplified power source designed to fit the body with a thin, flexible construction.
Inventus Power manufactures the current generation compliant portable battery and is one of four defense contractors selected in 2021 to compete for orders. Amprius is among the battery specialists supplying Inventus with high energy density cells for the project, joining others like Enovix. It announced in January that it had completed the first volume shipment of silicon anode-safe lithium cells for the project, and confirmed this week that it would supply cells for further development of the CWB pack.
“This battery integration marks a significant step forward in improving ground power solutions for the U.S. military,” Amprius CEO Dr. Kang Sun said in Thursday’s announcement. “Our SiMaxx secure cells, known for their high energy density and safety features, will play a crucial role in improving mission time and reliability for dismounted Soldiers.”
![The secret ingredient: Amprius claims its silicon nanowire configuration helps better accommodate silicon expansion and provides a conductive path for ions and electrons.](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/f9c1c83/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1320x747+0+0/resize/1320x747!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6a%2Fd0%2Fa1df0cd64ea7addcb529c8bb3e52%2Fscreenshot-2024-05-09-at-7.55.24%E2%80%AFPM.png)
Amprius Technologies
SiMaxx is the recently trademarked name for Amprius' original battery cell construction, which replaces the traditional graphite anode with silicon in a nanowire structure. Silicon contains up to 10 times more lithium ions for greater energy capacity, while the nanowire configuration better accommodates the volume expansion and contraction involved in ion movement to prevent degradation of the silicon.
SiMaxx cells offer an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg by weight and 1,300 Wh/kg by volume, as verified by Mobile Power Solutions in 2023. More modest initial estimates of 450 Wh/kg and 1,150 Wh/kg led Amprius to declare them the highest energy density cells available in the battery industry when it began to be will ship in 2022, and that claim appears to be as valid today as it was then. While we have seen other batteries of 500 Wh/kg announcementand some even exceed the 700 Wh/kg mark in the lab, SiMaxx cells remain the highest density cells we have seen and ready to ship.
Amprius' industry-leading 500 Wh/kg battery platform
This type of higher energy density will allow SiMaxx cells to double the energy carried compared to existing military battery solutions without a concomitant increase in weight or pack size. This will then allow soldiers to carry out longer missions without having to stop to charge.
Last year, a 390 Wh/kg iteration of SiMaxx cells with a gel polymer electrolyte passed the nail penetration test required by the U.S. Army, a critical milestone for a battery intended to be worn by soldiers facing potential bullets, shrapnel and other dangers on the battlefield. The packs will integrate with a body armor to be worn on the chest, side or back.
![Amprius SiMaxx cells offer the highest energy density for a ship-ready lithium battery cell.](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/6319a5a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1372x880+0+0/resize/1372x880!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9c%2Fe8%2Fe97e5e1547d5a84395e1ae71c793%2Fscreenshot-2024-05-09-at-8.38.49%E2%80%AFPM.png)
Amprius Technologies
The CWB project, which the Army plans to continue through May 2030, also helped Amprius expand its manufacturing capacity. Under the U.S. Army-funded Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program, the company completed a manufacturing ramp-up before shipping the first CWB-related cells in January. In April, it separately completed a tooling qualification process that will increase the production capacity of its Fremont, Calif., plant to 2 MWh. A second production plant in Colorado, scheduled to come online in 2025, will allow the company to increase production to the gigawatt-hour scale.
Beyond high-power wearable devices, Amprius' battery technology has attracted interest from the electric aviation, satellite and drone industries and featured prominently in the Solar Car Challenge, winning all four first places in the ranking. last year's event. While we haven't yet heard of any specific plans for electric cars, the company mentions the electric vehicle sector as a future market, estimating an increase in EPA range from 310 miles (500 km) to 547 miles ( 880 km) thanks to the application of its silicon anode. cells to a Tesla Model 3 battery.
Source: Amprius Technologies