Power Source Options for Communications

摘要

It is difficult to grasp a more demanding power consumer than the military. The modern military has come to rely on increasingly complex communications/electronic equipment that require a dependable, lightweight, compact power source that has the ability to operate reliably under harsh operating conditions. Current battery sources have been and continue to be a critical issue for the Marine Corps (MC). Communications batteries are used individually or in combination with other batteries to power over 50 military systems to include radios, telephones, switches, satellite terminals, encoding devices, night vision devices, test sets, transponder sets, and land navigation devices. The BA-5590 is the most widely used portable power source for military batteries in the U.S. Armed Forces and has been in production for 20 years. Current consumption and production conditions are compelling the MC to conserve the use of primary batteries. Marine Corps Order (MCO) 3523.X is one of the Marine Corps' steps towards a conservation policy. However, this MCO has yet to be signed; it has remained in a DRAFT status since July of 2002. The Marine Corps cannot continue to rely on primary batteries as the sole source of power for its communication and electronic equipment. Secondary batteries and alternate power sources can provide viable solutions to the battery shortage problem.