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Stackable battery redefines portable power

New battery provides rugged, reliable energy to power systems

Ultralife Corporation has released a modular lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePo4) power storage device for robotics, automated systems, military modular power systems and vehicle-mounted auxiliary power units. 

The new battery, named the URB0023, boasts ten times more charge cycles than other leading power storage devices on the market, and features a unique enclosure design that allows for greater on-the-go capability during operations.

Designed for applications that are required to run for long periods without access to mains electricity, the 24V batteries have a capacity of 54Ah and have a low self-discharge rate of less than five per cent allowing for highly efficient energy storage for long periods of time. 

The battery’s LiFePo4 chemistry allows it to offer greater energy density and performance during its life cycle.

The URB0023 has a cycle life of more than 2000 cycles, setting it ahead of the typical cycle life of approximately 200 cycles for other portable systems. This means each battery can last for many years, significantly longer than a traditional lead acid system, ensuring more effective and reliable power in remote applications.

“Whether you’re relying on the auxiliary power unit in a military vehicle or operating a robotic system, you want enough power to comfortably complete your task,” explained J D DiGiacomandrea, applications engineering manager at Ultralife Corporation. “But when you’re in the middle of a military operation, you don’t know how long your power will need to last. This makes capacity and cycle life two of the most important properties of any power storage device.

“With the URB0023, we have produced something designed to meet the needs of portable power in critical applications. Not only does it have the technical characteristics to deliver the performance required; it is also electrically modular and can be combined with other URB0023 batteries to increase the capacity of the system simply by stacking more batteries. The user can wire 10 or more batteries in parallel to increase the system capacity to over 12kWhrs.

“However, it’s our innovation with the battery’s casing that offers unique value to users. The stackable design of the URB0023 makes the power storage device much more versatile, as it can fit different types of applications and the modular approach means that, in military applications, soldiers can easily carry individual batteries as a power source and then assemble the stack on location.”

The URB0023’s patent-pending stackable design allows up to ten of the batteries to be stacked on top of one another. This stack allows the device to operate in a modular fashion, so it can be disassembled for transportation and stacked to boost power once at the desired location. This modular design also allows it to fit almost any application.

The URB0023 will be available across the UK and mainland Europe via professional battery manufacturer Accutronics, a subsidiary of Ultralife.

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