Software-Defined Universal Battery Charger and Eliminator

Distributed Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has shown that Marines need a better way to manage batteries. In response, the Marines have implemented a policy that stresses the use of rechargeable batteries. Currently fielded battery chargers can charge a wide range of batteries, but they require a separate adapter assembly for each of the more than a dozen batteries in the military arsenal. These chargers do not take advantage of the new “smart battery” technology SMBus, which makes batteries easier to charge, analyze, and maintain. In Phase I, Mainstream designed, built, and tested a first-generation Universal Battery Charger (UBC) that provides adapterless, SMBus compatible, battery charging. Mainstream’s UBC is 73-83% smaller and 56-68% lighter than existing military systems. In Phase II, Mainstream will commercialize the UBC for military applications. Second-generation UBCs will be delivered to the government for end user test and evaluation. Feedback will be incorporated into the third-generation UBC, which will be used for First Article Tests (FAT). FAT units will be delivered to the government at the end of the Phase II Base contract. In the Phase II Option, Mainstream will continue FAT tests and begin low rate initial production to verify manufacturing capabilities.