Industrial Factory Automation

Saft has been awarded a contract by EADS Astrium Space Transportation to provide the in-flight battery systems for the next 35 Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicles. This latest order builds on the success of a previous contract awarded in 2005, under which Saft has already developed, manufactured and supplied batteries for 30 Ariane 5 launch vehicles. For each Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle, Saft will provide a total of 17 battery systems to power key elements including: main cryogenic stage (EPC), boosters (EAP), Vehicle Equipment Bay (VEB). The battery technologies supplied by Saft will include silver oxide-zinc (AgOZn) primary batteries and rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries. The Ariane 5 ECA batteries will be designed and manufactured at Saft plants in Poitiers, France, with the first delivery scheduled for June 2010.

The Antares 20E, an electric self-launching glider developed by Lange Aviation and powered by a Saft custom-designed, rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) battery system, is back in series production. For takeoff and powered flight the electric motor with propeller is extended above the fuselage centre section. For soaring, the pilot simply pulls a lever and the complete unit retracts into the fuselage to ensure optimum aerodynamic efficiency. Axel Lange, chief executive of Lange Aviation, said: 'The Antares demonstrator LF-20E flew on Ni-MH batteries and performed well. 'But the extra power available when we switched to the Saft Li-ion batteries has enabled us to more than double the launch height, using a battery system that weighs 26 per cent less.' The Antares 20E is equipped with a custom-designed modular battery system, using Saft VL 41 M Li-ion cells, that pack as much power as possible into a lightweight and space-efficient package. The battery system weighs 80kg, whi...

Industrial Batteries UK (IBLUK) has produced a leaflet on the observations necessary to evaluate how long a battery can be expected to perform reliably. The document outlines the main factors involved and the type of change to look for, including: assessing whether the installed system is the best option to give optimum life; examining the maintenance procedures to ensure they obtain the best service from the installation; checking that the charging system is compatible with the complete installation, and whether modifications are required; carrying out an 'expected life' survey to establish the actual age of the battery, the health of the battery and the real expected life under the actual application conditions. The leaflet goes on to outline the items that are important in evaluating the application conditions, and what to look for in a battery inspection. In addition, IBLUK provides a number of related documents concerning battery maintenance, disposal and recycling, and g...