PLYMOUTH MEETING, Penn., 12 Feb. 2007. Lithium Technology Corporation has received a purchase order from the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) for high-energy lithium-ion cells to be used for its Seahorse autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) project. Additionally, an undisclosed advanced educational institution collaborating on the Seahorse project through the NAVOCEANO's AUV partner program, has placed a separate order for additional cells and a customized battery management system (BMS). The combined total for both contracts is approximately $600,000.
"Underwater vehicles like the Seahorse demand high energy density, high reliability, and enhanced performance, and LTC meets these demands today with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cells," comments Dr. Klaus Brandt, executive vice president of LTC and managing director of LTC subsidiary GAIA Akkumulatorenwerke (GAIA).
The Seahorse AUV is used to collect data in seacoast regions of the world. Unlike earlier AUVs, the Seahorse is capable of pre-programmed independent operations that allow it to maintain a constant depth, course, and speed; navigate between various points; and conduct search and survey patterns. Typical mission operating depths range from 15 to 1,000 feet, with endurance up to 72 hours. Seahorse vehicles are 28 feet long, slightly more than three feet in diameter, and weigh 10,500 pounds.
