Reserve Battery, Fused-Electrolyte

a chemical current source in which the electrolyte exists in a solid, nonconducting state at the storage temperature. The liquid state of high conductivity is obtained through an activation process of electrical or pyrotechnic heating. Fused-salt electrolytes, such as LiCl-KCl, in batteries permit the use of active anode materials like metallic Li and Ca. This, in turn, can lead to potential differences of up to 3 volts with current densities of approximately 10³ amperes/m^J. CaCrO₄, CuO, Fe₂O₃, V₂O₅, and WO₃ are used as cathode materials.

The principal advantages of fused-electrolyte batteries are high energy output, long shelf life (10–15 years), rapid activation, high reproducibility, and high stability and ruggedness when subjected to vibration, impact, or overload. These properties make it feasible to use fused-electrolyte batteries in equipment for probing the atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth’s interior and in other devices requiring independent sources of power with large storage capacity. Commercial models are manufactured in the USSR, the USA, and other countries.