SA08 SiCore lithium-ion pouch cell

The SA08 SiCore lithium-ion pouch cell from Amprius is a silicon-anode high-power cell for rechargeable battery packs in unmanned aircraft, electric aviation and other weight-sensitive electric platforms. It belongs to the SiCore family of silicon-anode lithium-ion cells and is classed by the maker as a high-power cell type, so it suits packs where discharge capability matters as much as energy content.

The cell stores 11.0 Ah and delivers a specific energy of 345 Wh/kg and a volumetric energy density of 750 Wh/L. For a pack designer, the gravimetric figure sets how much stored energy each kilogram of cells provides, and therefore how much of the aircraft mass budget goes to energy rather than payload. The volumetric figure indicates how much space the cells occupy in the battery bay for a given energy content.

Power capability is stated as a maximum continuous discharge of 5C. At the 11.0 Ah capacity this corresponds to a continuous current of 55 A per cell. Integrators size parallel strings against this current for hover and climb demands of multirotor and vertical-takeoff platforms, and use the rating to check that the peak power of the propulsion system stays within what the cells can supply without excessive heating. The maker lists a cycle life of 250 cycles; this is a point to weigh against the number of flights expected over the service life of a pack.

The cell is a flat pouch with a length of 144.5 mm and a width of 52.0 mm. A pouch format has no rigid metal can, so the pack design must provide its own compression, support and protection, and must give tab access for series and parallel interconnection. Pack integrators also need to plan cell spacing, thermal paths and monitoring of cell voltage and temperature through a battery management system suited to silicon-anode lithium-ion chemistry.

Amprius presents the SiCore range as silicon-anode lithium-ion cells for demanding electric mobility, with unmanned aviation named among the industries it serves. Typical uses of a cell of this class are battery packs for long-endurance fixed-wing and vertical-takeoff unmanned aircraft, electric aircraft prototypes, and other robotic or mobile systems where the energy stored per unit of mass decides range and flight time. Detailed specifications beyond the product page are supplied by the maker on request.