Environmental factors

Environmental factors can effect the choice of power source. For example, a power source may be required to do the following:

• Withstand very high acceleration and spin forces: 20000 g and 22,000 rev/min are typical for artillery

• Operate over a very wide range of temperature: typically -46^oC for airborne systems to +70^oC for equatorial summers

• Be stored for 10 years or more without significant degradation or loss of capacity

• Become activated almost immediately on use

• Deliver its energy in a short discharge time.

These requirements are very specific and rule out the vast majority of conventional batteries. Special systems, such as spin-activated, thermal and other reserve batteries have been developed for such duties. For other examples, a consistent requirement for the CF is operation at -40^oC, which also eliminates most battery couples.