Larger Battery

Stephen Hanly

Objective

Develop and offer a Slam Stick variant with a larger battery.

Description

The current enclosure design of the Slam Stick does not allow for use in particularly harsh environments (outdoor applications). The current battery chemistry also does not perform well in cold environments making some aerospace applications unaddressable even though the core electronics can survive down to -40C. The battery size is also optimized for single day use and there is an increasing need for longer "missions" that last on the order of weeks, even months.

Requirements

• Larger rechargeable battery option to enable a battery life measured in weeks (~20x increase in capacity)
• Battery able to provide adequate power and voltage down to -20C (-40C desired)

Deliverables

• Large rechargeable battery in an aluminum enclosure

Cost to the Customer

The added complexity in manufacturing and assembly to enable waterproof enclosures and larger and more expensive batteries are likely to add between $500 and $1,000 in the purchase price.

Example Use Cases

1. Long-term outdoor test: An engineering team is designing a light structure that mounts to the underside of a bridge. This bridge supports a commuter train and as it passes overhead some vibrations are imparted on the lights. Prototypes have not survived over long periods of time and the engineering team suspects that vibrations from the train are damaging the lights. They would like to quantify the vibrations caused by the train over a week of operation (account for different commuter schedules and weather) and then use this data to design a better fixture to support the lights. This data will also be used to simulate the environment for internal testing.
2. Shipping logger: A defense contractor has developed an expensive radar system that needs to be transported from the manufacturing site to the installation site. This shipment can take several days up to several weeks depending on the destination. This system is sensitive to very fine vibrations (<5g) and the engineering team has developed isolation structures to protect the system; but they need to prove to the end customer that the system has not been damaged during shipment. Traditional "shock loggers" will be ineffective due to the data quality needs.
3. Aerospace, low temperature test: A system is being developed for aerial refueling. In order to effectively design a system, very robust and well-defined environment requirements are needed concerning the vibrations and accelerations caused by the event. Due to the effects from air flow, pressure, weather etc. lab simulations are not effective. A recording system is needed to record the event over several hours at an air temperature of -20C.